V' 


?',*: 


SERMONS  FOR  CHILDREN'S  MASSES. 


SEEM0N8 

FOR  CHILDREJiT'S  MASSES. 


AOCOKDING  TO  THE  SUNDAYS  AND  PRINCIPAL 
FESTIVALS  OF  THE  YEAR. 


WITH 

ADVICE  TO   THE  YOUNG    ON  THE  LAST 

DAY  OE  THE  SCHOLASTIC  YEAR, 

AND  AETER  A  RETREAT 


ADAPTED  FROM  THE  OBIGINAL  OF 

Rev.  RAPHAEL  FRASSINETTI, 

BY 

Vbey  Rev.  Deak  A.  A.  LINGS. 


New  York,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  : 
BEMNr2:iGER     BROTHERS, 

PRINTERS   TO   THE  I  PUBLISHERS  OF 

BOLY   APOSTOLIC  SEE       |       BENZIGER'S  MAGAZINE 


ntbil  mstau 


BEMY  LAFOKT, 

Censor  Librorum. 


fmptimatut^ 


i"  MICHAEL   AUGUSTINE, 

Archbishop  of  New  York 


New  York,  September  31,  1900. 

LOAN  STACK 


Copyright,  1900,  by  Benziger  Brothers. 


2)(l75i, 


PEKFACE 


The  education  of  our  young  people  in  religion,  thereby 
leading  them  to  God,  is  certainly  a  great  work,  one  worthy 
of  the  sublimest  calling  and  entitling  the  faithful  worker  to 
the  greatest  consideration  and  preference  in  heaven  and  on 
earth.  Our  Lord  gave  us  the  example  of  an  amiable  disposi- 
tion toward  children.  Children  as  well  as  grown  people  are 
to  go  to  heaven,  therefore  the  Lord  gathered  them  about 
Him  with  a  most  touching  familiarity.  He  loved  them  and 
embraced  them:  "Jjet  the  little  ones  come  unto  Me,  for 
theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  God."  But  children  must  first  be 
educated  in  religion;  they  must  be  taught  it  and  in  a  man- 
ner that  would  not  do  for  grown  people.  Adults  do  not 
want  to  be  talked  to  like  children  nor  can  children  be  treated 
in  the  same  way  as  their  elders.  Hence  while  there  must  be 
sermons  for  grown  people,  for  educated  Christians,  for 
philosophers  and  theologians,  there  should  also  be  sermons 
suited  for  children.  Just  as  hard  as  it  is  for  a  great,  able 
man  to  come  down  to  the  level  of  a  child,  just  so  hard  is  it 
to  find  even  in  Bourdalou  or  in  Bossuet  what  will  suit  chil- 
dren; a  young  priest  looking  for  a  sermon  for  a  children's 
Mass  would  have  to  throw  aside  book  after  book  of  these 
great  writers  and  preachers  without  finding  anything  suit- 
able, and  luckily  for  the  children,  for  they  would  not  un- 
derstand a  word  said.  Children's  sermons  are  then  useful  in 
a  way,  because  in  them  the  necessary  simplicity  may  be  indi- 
cated for  presenting  the  Gospel  to  the  young.    "  The  little 

L    412 


4  Preface, 

ones  have  asked  for  bread,  and  there  was  none  to  break  it 
unto  them^'  (Lam.  iv.  4). 

Let  us  hope  that  this  book  may  be  the  beginning  of  a  Series 
of  useful  books  of  the  same  character.  Religious  training 
depends  much,  if  not  in  certain  circumstances  altogether,  on 
the  pn^tj^  who  is  obliged  to  look  for  the  most  effectiye 
means  of  teaching  religion,  the  gospels,  and  morality.  In 
our  time  we  are  seeking  for  new  books  of  improved  metkods 
for  our  secular  schools,  and  priests  will  find  this  book  of  ser- 
mons to  children  one  step  toward  that  end.  In  these  sermons 
is  presented  in  the  most  simple  manner  the  life  of  Our  Lord 
as  it  is  met  with  in  the  gospels  for  the  Sundays.  His  grand 
examples  of  virtue.  His  heavenly  teachings,  His  striking 
miracles  teach  religious  truth  in  a  most  impressive  manner. 
And  in  this  way,  as  these  young  people  grow  up  they  will 
not  only  have  heard  the  gospels  and  know  them,  but  may  also 
be  furnished  with  a  groundwork  for  their  faith,  which  will 
last  them  to  the  end  of  their  days  and  be  the  source  of  many 
graces  to  them  during  life,  with,  perhaps,  the  grace  of  final 
perseverance.  Thus  brought  up  according  to  the  principles 
of  the  life  of  Christ,  we  priests  engaged  in  this  grand  work 
may  understand  that  we  are  working  for  this  glorious  end, 
"that  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ  be  made  manifest"  in  their 
bodies  (2  Cor.  iv.  10).  What  a  consolation  will  it  be  for  the 
good  pastor,  to  be  convinced  that,  having  done  his  very  best, 
he  will  gain  a  crown  of  great  glory  for  himself  and  have  the 
consolation  of  seeing  a  great  number  of  his  spiritual  children 
growing  up  an  honor  to  the  Church  in  the  future. 


CONTENTS. 


PAOK 

Preface  3 

First  Sunday  of  Advent — The  Day  of  Judgment 9 

Second  Sunday  of  Advent — St.  John  the  Baptist  sends  his  Dis- 
ciples to  Christ 17 

Third  Sunday  of  Advent — The  Voice  of  One  Crying  in  the  Wilder- 
ness       22 

Fourth  Sunday  of  Advent — The  Baptism  of  Penance 28 

Sunday  Within  the  Octave  of  Christmas — The  Presentation  of  Our 

Lord  in  the  Temple 33 

First  Sunday  after  Epiphany — ^Tl\e  Finding  in  the  Temple 38 

Second  Sunday  after  Epiphany — ^The  Marriage-Feast  of  Cana 44 

Third    Sunday    after   Epiphany — The   Leper — The   Faith    of   the 

Centurion    49 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Epiphany — Jesus  in  a  Storm  on  the  Lake. .     55 
Fifth  Sunday  after  Epiphany — The  Good  Seed  and  the  Bad  Sown 

into  it 60 

Sixth  Sunday  after  Epiphany — The  Mustard  Seed — The  Leaven . .     66 
Septuagesima  Sunday — The  Laborers  in  God's  Vineyard  Called  at 

Different  Times  of  the  Day 73 

Sexagesima  Sunday — ^The  Seed  of  the  Word  of  God  that  falls  by 
the  Wayside,  on  the  Rocks,  among  Thorns,  or  upon  Good 

Ground  78 

Quinquagesima  Sunday — Prediction  of  Our  Lord's  Passion — ^The 

Cure  of  the  Blind  Man 82 

First  Sunday  of  Lent— The  Forty  Days'  Fast  of  Our  Lord 88 

Second  Sunday  of  Lent — The  Transfiguration  of  Our  Lord 94 

Third  Sunday  of  Lent — ^The  Cure  of  the  Man  Possessed  by  the 

Devil  99 

Fourth   Sunday   of  Lent — Jesus  Feeding  Five  Thousand   People 

with  Five  Loaves  and  Two  Fishes 105 

5 


6  Contents, 


PAoa 

Passion  Sunday— The  Pharisees  Accuse  Our  Lord Ill 

Palm  Sunday — The  Entry  into  Jerusalem 116 

Easter  Sunday — ^The  Resurrection  of  Our  Lord 125 

First  Sunday  after  Easter — The  Visit  of  Our  Lord  to  His  Disciples 

— The  Unbelieving   Thomas 128 

Second  Sunday  after  Easter— The  Gk)od  Shepherd 133 

Third  Sunday  after  Easter — Jesus  Consoles  His  Disciples  at  His 

Departure  from  this  World 136 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Easter — The  Consolation  which  Christ  gave 

the  Apostles  before  His  Departure  from  this  World 141 

Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter— The  Strength  of  Prayer 145 

Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  the  Ascension — The  Holy  Ghost 151 

Pentecost  Sunday — The  Coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost 157 

First  Sunday  after  Pentecost — ^The  Virtue  of  Charity 161 

Second  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Great  Feast  to  which  All 

are  Invited 166 

Third  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Lost  Sheep 171 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Wonderful  Draught  of  Fishes  174 

Fifth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — Charity  toward  our  Neighbor 179 

Sixth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Feeding  of  Five  Thousand 

with  Seven  Loaves  and  a  few  Fishes 182 

Seventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost — A  Good  Tree  Giveth  Good  Fruit  186 
Eighth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Dishonest  but  Wise  Steward  190 

Ninth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — Jesus  Weeps  over  Jerusalem 196 

Tenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Conduct  of  the  Pharisee  and 

the  Publican  in  the  Temple 202 

Eleventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost — ^The  HeaMng  of  the  Deaf-mute. .  207 

Twelfth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Good  Samaritan 213 

Thirteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Cure  of  the  Ten  Lepers.  219 
Fourteenth    Sunday   after   Pentecost — No   Man   can   Serve   Two 

Masters — God  and  Mammon 223 

Fifteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — Christ  Raises  the  Widow's  Son 

to  Life 228 

Sixteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Observance  of  Sunday. .  231 
Seventeenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Love  of  God  and  of 

Our  Neighbor 236 

Eighteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — "  Son,  Thy  Sins  are  Forgiven 

Thee "  241 

Nineteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost — ^The  King  who  made  a  Mar- 
riage-Feast for  his  Son 246 

Twentieth  Sunday  after  Pentecost— The  Healing  of  the  Son  of  the 

Ruler  and  the  Conversion  of  his  Whole  Family 261 


Contents^ 


Twenty-first  Sunday  after  Pentecost — ^The  Unforgiving  Servant  of 
the  King 256 

Twenty-second  Sunday  after  Pentecost — The  Legality  of  the 
Tribute  to  Caesar 261 

Twenty-third  Sunday  after  Pentecost — ^The  Raising  to  Life  of  the 
Daughter  of  Jairus 265 

Twenty-fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost— The  End  of  the  World. .  271 

THE  FESTIVALS   OF  THE  YEAR 

Christmas   Day 276 

The  Circumcision  of  Our  Lord 280 

The  Epiphany 284 

Candlemas  Day 288 

Feast  of  St.  Joseph 291 

The  Annunciation 294 

Good  J'rids^y— The  Passion  of  Our  Lord 298 

'fhe  Ascension  of  Our  Lord 307 

Feast  of  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga 311 

Feast  of  the  Nativity  of  St.  John  the  Baptist 316 

Feast  of  St.  Peter 320 

Feast  of  St.  Lawrence  the  Martyr 324 

Feast  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary 328 

Feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 332 

east  of  St.  Michael  the  Archangel 336 

Feast  of  the  Holy  Rosary 340 

Feast  of  All  Saints 343 

Feast  of  All  Souls 346 

Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 351 

Advice  to  the  Young  on  the  Last  Day  of  the  Scholastic  Year 354 

Closing  Advice  to  Young  People  after  a  Retreat 360 


SERMONS  FOR  CHILDREN'S  MASSES, 


FIEST   SUNDAY   OF  ADVENT. 

Gospel.  Luke  xxi.  25-33.  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  Ms  disciples: 
There  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in.the  stars,  and 
upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations,  by  reason  of  the  confusion  of  the 
roaring  of  the  sea  and  of  the  waves:  men  withering  away  for  fear, 
and  expectation  of  what  shall  come  upon  the  whole  world,  for  the 
powers  of  heaven  shall  be  moved;  and  then  they  shall  see  the  Son 
of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  great  power  and  majesty.  But  when 
these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  look  up  and  lift  up  your  heads: 
because  your  redemption  is  at  hand.  And  he  spoke  to  them  a  simili- 
tude: See  the  fig-tree,  and  all  the  trees:  when  they  now  shoot  forth 
their  fruit,  you  know  that  summer  is  nigh.  So  you  also  when  you 
shall  see  these  things  come  to  pass,  know  that  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  at  hand.  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  this  generation  shall  not  pass  away, 
till  all  things  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but 
my  words  shall  not  pass  away. 

THE  DAY   OF  JUDGMENT. 

The  day  will  surely  come  when  there  will  be  an  end  to  all 
the  wickedness  that  exists  in  the  world,  and  no  more  insults 
will  be  offered  to  God.  On  this  day  almighty  G-od  will  ap- 
pear in  all  His  glory  and  terrible  majesty  as  the  just  Judge 
of  the  living  and  the  dead.  It  will  be  a  day  of  terror;  the 
sun  will  be  obscured,  covered  with  a  thick  black  veil;  the 
moon  will  not  give  light,  she  will  shine  blood  red;  the  stars 
will  fall  from  the  heavens,  the  whole  universe  will  be  shaken 
to  its  very  foundations.    On  that  day  it  will  rain  fire  from  the 

9 


10  The  Day  of  Judgment, 

skies;  burning  coals  will  descend  and  destroy  all  that  is  on 
this  earth.  That  day  has  been  called  by  the  prophets  a  cruel 
day,  the  day  of  wrath,  the  day  of  darkness,  of  tribulation 
and  of  no  mercy.  On  that  day  God  will  pour  out  His  wrath, 
and  sinners  will  have  to  drink  this  chalice  of  bitterness  to 
the  dregs.  Of  this  terrible  day  the  Gospel  of  this  Sunday 
speaks.  It  ought  to  be  enough  for  Christians  to  hear  the 
announcement  of  these  dreadful  occurrences  once  to  make 
them  sin  no  more,  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  hear  these 
threats  repeated  several  times  during  the  year,  and  still  they 
do  not  repent  of  their  sins  nor  amend  their  lives. 

I  hope,  my  dear  young  people,  that  you  are  not  of  this 
number,  but  reflecting  to-day  on  these  solemn  words,  you 
will  make  a  firm  resolution  not  to  commit  a  single  mortal 
sin;  and  thus  that  dreadful  day,  so  terrible  for  the  sinner, 
will  be  for  you  a  day  of  joy,  of  glory,  of  triumph,  and  the 
beginning  of  your  eternal  reward.  When  the  hour  of  the 
great  judgment  shall  arrive,  St.  Michael,  accompanied  by 
many  other  angels,  will  give  a  blast  from  his  trumpet  which 
shall  be  heard  in  all  parts  of  the  earth;  because  the  sound 
shall  be  winged  forth  by  the  power  of  God's  omnipotence. 
"And  they  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God:  ^ Arise, 
ye  dead,  and  come  to  judgment.' "  Great  and  small,  kings 
and  princes,  rich  and  poor,  learned  and  ignorant,  all  shall 
obey  that  summons.  At  the  first  sound  of  this  blast,  the 
bodies  which  for  centuries  have  been  reduced  to  dust  will  re- 
turn to  their  former  shapes,  and  will  be  reanimated  by  the 
voice  of  the  Son  of  God.  All  shall  come  forth  from  their 
graves,  but  there  will  be  a  great  difference  among  them.  The 
elect  will  rise  with  bodies  more  brilliant  than  the  stars  and 
like  to  the  angels;  as  St.  Matthew  says,  "  Then  the  just  shall 
shine  like  the  sun."  The  wicked  shall  be  there  in  their  for- 
mer bodies  too,  but  so  loathsome  that  it  will  be  to  them  as 
well  as  to  their  companions  a  day  of  horror.  No  wonder,  for 
the  just  have  risen  to  a  new  iife>  but  the  wicked  to  eternal 
death. 


First  Sunday  of  Advent.  11 

Bear  children,  wHat  would  be  your  feelings  if  you  should 
see  yourselves  in  such  an  abominable  body?  And  yet  how 
many  there  are  among  the  young  who,  through  an  inordinate 
love  of  their  body,  never  go  contrary  to  their  passions,  be- 
cause they  wish  to  indulge  in  unlawful  pleasures. 

Then  the  angels  will  separate  the  good  from  the  bad.  Oh, 
what  a  dreadful  separation!  the  wicked  to  the  left,  the  good 
to  the  rig"ht;  the  good  father  to  the  right,  the  wicked  son 
to  the  left,  the  good  brother  to  the  right,  the  wicked  one  to 
the  left;  now  is  the  time  to  separate  the  wheat  from  the 
cockle.  Now  is  the  time  to  bind  the  cockle  into  bundles  to 
burn.  That  young  man  who  looked  so  deceptively  innocent 
in  his  life,  who  appeared  so  good  to  his  parents,  is  now  the 
cockle  because  he  was  wicked,  he  and  his  companions; 
another  seemed  so  devout,  but  he,  too,  is  the  cockle  because 
his  heart  was  full  of  sin.  All  the  most  hidden  sins  will  then 
be  manifest;  those  sins  which  were  committed  in  the  dark 
and  in  secret  places,  those  sins  which  through  shame  were 
withheld  from  the  knowledge  of  the  confessor,  and  those  sins, 
mark  it  well,  which  were  confessed,  but  without  sorrow  and 
without  the  resolution  to  do  better.  Yes,  father,  mother, 
sisters,  brothers  and  friends  shall  know  all  our  secrets. 
Nahum  the  prophet  says:  "  I  will  discover  thy  shame  to  thy 
face,  and  will  show  thy  [wickedness]  to  the  nations,  and  thy 
shame  to  kingdoms.'* 

But  now  heaven  opens,  and  the  holy  cross  appears,  carried 
by  angels;  the  cross,  the  sign  of  redemption  and  of  life;  the 
wicked  shall  fall  on  their  faces  as  if  struck  by  lightning. 
What  cries  and  shrieks  will  they  utter!  But  the  good  will  re- 
joice when  they  see  the  cross,  and  falling  on  their  knees  they 
will  cry  out:  ''  0  holy  cross,  we  hail  thee,  our  only  hope!  0 
cross,  our  comfort  in  life  and  now  our  glory  and  triumph,  we 
adore  thee! ''  But  behold,  in  this  tumult  of  voices,  amid  all 
this  thunder  and  lightning,  in  the  midst  of  these  fiery 
clouds,  appears  the  dread  Judge,  clothed  in  garments  of  re- 
venge.    The  terrible  Majesty,  with  eyes  burning  like  coals 


12  The  Bay  of  Judgment 

of  fire.  What  anger,  what  menacing  looks!  His  anger  shall 
bum  like  a  fire  (Ps.  Ixxxviii.  47).  A  red  mantle  on  His  shoul- 
ders; from  His  mouth  proceeds  a  two-edged  sword.  The  sin- 
ner shall  tremble  at  the  sight;  the  eyes  of  Christ,  the  Judge, 
shall  meet  the  terrified  looks  of  the  sinner.  The  guilty  shall 
also  see,  but  not  for  his  consolation,  the  sweet  face  of  Mary, 
the  Mother  of  sinners,  and  he  will  exclaim:  "  0  Mary,  help 
me!  Mother,  have  pity  on  me,  throw  a  glance  of  mercy 
toward  me!  Cover  me,  0  Mary,  with  thy  mantle! ''  But 
Mary  shall  turn  from  him  and  say:  "No  longer  call  me 
Mother;  you  are  no  son  of  mine:  there  is  no  longer  time 
for  mercy,  but  for  justice^  and  divine  vengeance;  I  feel  no 
pity  for  you;  when  in  your  life  I  wished  you  to  be  my  son, 
you  refused  to  come  to  me;  now  it  is  too  late." 

The  angels,  too,  and  all  the  saints  of  heaven  will  reaffirm 
God's  dreadful  damnation,  and  turn  from  you  in  disgust: 
''He  will  speak  to  them  in  His  anger."  The  great  Judge 
will  then  speak  in  His  wrath  to  the  sinner,  and  call  him  to  a 
rigorous  account  for  all  his  sinfulness,  even  for  the  most 
secret  deeds. 

''  Up  to  the  present  I  have  been  silent  and  patient;  now 
is  My  time  to  render  you  punishment  for  all  your  iniqui- 
ties; 'give  back  what  thou  owest.'  If  I  were  your  father 
where  was  the  honor  due  Me  as  such?  Hardly  did  you  come 
to  the  use  of  reason  when  you  began  to  insult  Me.  You 
arose  in  the  morning  and  went  to  bed  at  night  like  an  ani- 
mal, without  remembering  your  Creator;  you  did  not  know 
your  prayers,  but  learned  early  to  curse  My  holy  name.  Look 
at  your  youthful  waywardness,  your  disobedience  to  your  su- 
periors. From  your  earliest  childhood  you  took  a  pride  in 
being  unruly;  you  know  your  thefts,  your  quarrels,  your  lies, 
your  filthy  practices,  by  which  you  rent  and  soiled  the  white 
garment  of  your  Baptism.  You  went  to  church  only  to  dis- 
honor Me;  at  Mass  you  laughed,  talked,  and  did  not  pray, 
but  disturbed  others  in  their  devotions.  Give  an  account  of 
aU  this;  not  only  of  this,  but  give  an  account,  too,  of  the 


First  Sunday  of  Ad/dent,  X3 

sins  which  you  made  others  commit.  Your  companion  was 
innocent,  but  you  corrupted  him,  and  you  are  guilty  of  the 
sins  which  he  afterwards  committed.  How  many  souls  re- 
deemed by  My  precious  blood  you  have  destroyed!  *  Give 
back  what  thou  owest/  Eise  and  give  an  excuse  for  all  this, 
if  you  can.  ^  Tell  Me  if  thou  hast  anything  to  justify  thy- 
self^ (Isaias  xliii.  26).  Will  you  plead  ignorance?  Were 
you  not  bom  in  a  Christian  family,  where  you  received  holy 
teachings,  and  saw  many  examples  of  virtue?  What  advice 
did  your  parents,  your  teachers,  and  also  your  confessor  give 
you?  You  knew  the  malice  of  sin,  still  you  persisted  in  com- 
mitting it;  you  knew  there  would  be  a  judgment,  when  you 
would  have  to  give  an  account  of  even  an  idle  word;  you 
knew  that  in  your  surroundings  in  the  school  and  on  the 
street  that  there  was  cockle  sown  among  the  wheat,  but 
you  would  not  be  edified  by  good  example.  Will  you  give 
as  an  excuse,  weakness:  that  your  passions  were  too  strong 
for  you?  You  could,  if  you  had  wished,  have  made  yourself 
strong,  for  you  had  at  hand  prayer  and  the  sacraments;  I 
gave  you  My  body  as  food  and  My  blood  as  drink,  but  they 
became  a  poison  to  you  because  you  received  them  un- 
worthily. You  had  the  help  of  the  saints,  of  the  angels  and 
of  Blessed  Mary.  How  many  youths  with  less  strength  than 
you,  weaker  than  you,  more  tempted  than  you,  and  more  ex- 
posed to  dangers,  have  preserved  themselves  from  the  con- 
tamination of  vice.  There  is  a  young  man  who  at  home  saw 
nothing  but  bad  example,  whose  parents  had  no  love  for 
God,  still  he  remained  good.  After  your  first  communion 
you  were  pious  for  a  while.  Why  did  you  cease  to  be  pious? 
Why  did  not  your  piety  last  for  life,  as  it  should?  Ah, 
wretch!  you  shall  feel  the  effects  of  My  anger;  the  blood 
which  I  shed  for  you  will  condemn  you."  The  trembling  sin- 
ner, convicted  by  the  all-wise  Judge,  will  not  be  able  to  open 
his  mouth  in  his  defence;  he  will  call  upon  the  mountains 
to  cover  him,  the  flames  to  destroy  him;  yes,  he  will  even 
call  upon  hell  itself  to  hide  him  in  its  bosom. 


14  The  Day  of  Judgment. 

Then  Christ,  the  Judge,  with  a  sweet  smile  upon  His  face, 
will  turn  to  the  elect  and  say  to  them:  "My  beloved  and 
faithful  ones,  now  is  the  time  come  when  I  will  reward  you 
for  the  services  which  you  have  so  faithfully  rendered  Me. 
Yes,  I  remember  the  good  examples  you  have  shown,  the 
good  advice  given  to  your  companions,  the  crust  of  bread  and 
the  glass  of  water  given  to  the  poor  in  My  name.  I  remem- 
ber that  from  your  tenderest  years  you  offered  Me  your  inno- 
cent hearts.  I  remember  your  many  acts  of  love,  and  while 
others  have  forgotten  and  offended  Me,  you  have  always 
honored,  loved,  and  visited  Me.  Now  has  the  time  come 
for  the  great  feast  in  paradise.  ^Oome,  ye  blessed  of  My 
Father,  possess  you  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.'  Come  now  to  eternal  rest,  come 
away  from  poverty  to  wealth,  from  tears  to  joy,  from  the 
cross  to  the  crown.''  What  joy  tliere  will  be!  Indeed  you 
are  the  glory  of  God,  for  He  will  acknowledge  you  before 
the  whole  world  as  His  faithful  children;  worthy  of  the  de- 
lights and  glory  of  heaven.  Can  you  imagine  a  greater 
honor?  ^^Thou  art  My  servant  Israel,  for  in  thee  will  I 
glory  "  (Isaias  xlix.  3).  You  are  very  happy,  my  dear  young 
people,  w^hen  a  compliment  is  paid  you  by  some  great  per- 
sonage, and  you  never  forget  it.  How  great  then  will  be 
your  happiness  to  receive  praise  from  G-od  Himself  ! 

Then  again  the  eternal  Judge  will  change  His  demeanor, 
and  turning  to  the  wicked  will  say:  "Ah!  you  miserable 
beings,  what  have  you  to  expect  from  Me?  You  did  not 
love  nor  reverence  Me  in  your  life;  I  will  not  now  acknowl- 
edge you.  I  know  you  not.  You  did  not  wish  to  have  part 
with  Me,  and  now  you  shall  not.  Go  from  my  presence; 
you  are  objects  of  my  hatred;  go,  ye  damned,  into  eternal 
fire.  ^Depart  from  Me,  you  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire* 
(Matt.  XXV.  41).  Cursed  by  My  divine  Father,  cursed  by 
Me,  cursed  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  cursed  by  Mary,  by  the  angels 
and  all  the  saints."  What  dreadful  cries  will  these  wretches 
send  forth  on  hearing  these  maledictions!     The  saints  will 


First  Sunday  of  Advent  15 

repeat  the  curses  of  God:  ^^Away  from  here,  ye  accursed, 
away  from  here,  ye  accursed! "  Then  the  saints  will  praise 
God  for  His  justice. 

These  wretches  would  throw  themselves  into  hell  if  they 
could,  but  God  wants  them  to  be  witnesses  of  the  triumph  of 
the  good;  and  they  must  stand  there  to  see  it  to  their  own 
great  punishment.  These  good  people  whom  they  ridiculed 
during  life:  ''  They  were  those  whom  you  held  in  derision 
formeriy."  They  will  burst  with  envy,  "  The  sinner  shall 
witness  this  and  gnash  his  teeth."  Ah!  indeed  we  were  fools, 
we  were  wrong!  See  that  youth  whom  we  laughed  at  so 
often  because  he  was  pious,  and  called  him  scrupulous  or  a 
bigot,  because  he  never  took  part  in  our  wicked  talks,  plays, 
and  pastimes.  There  he  is  now,  covered  with  glory  and  in 
triumph,  while  we  are  bound  in  chains,  captives  of  the  devil, 
and  prisqners  of  hell.  How  foolish  were  we  who  considered 
their  life  absurd  and  their  end  without  honor,  but  now  we 
see  them  counted  among  the  children  of  God  and  among 
the  saints  is  their  lot. 

The  wicked  will  say,  "  Yes,  we  have  enjoyed  the  world  and 
all  its  vanities,  but  what  has  it  given  us  in  return?  Not  hap- 
piness, not  contentment;  what  a  life  of  restlessness  was  ours! 
There  is  no  peace  for  the  wicked;  we  surfeited  our  souls  and 
bodies  with  sin.  Oh!  had  we  done  half  as  much  to  save  our 
souls  as  we  did  to  enjoy  the  illusive  joys  of  our  life  on  earth, 
we  would  be  saints.  ^We  have  grown  tired  in  the  way  of 
iniquity  and  perdition,  we  have  walked  in  difficult  paths.' " 

Then  the  saints,  all  robed  in  white,  with  palm  branches 
in  their  hands  in  sign  of  triumph,  will  go  joyfully  to  heaven, 
there  to  begin  the  eternal  chant  of  paradise.  The  wicked, 
howling,  blaspheming,  and  despairing,  are  caught  in  a  terrible 
whirlpool  that  starts  beneath  their  feet,  sucking  them  down 
into  eternal  perdition:  ''  And  these  shall  go  to  eternal  perdi- 
tion but  the  just  into  life  eternal." 

In  this  way  the  great  judgment  will  be  accomplished;  we 
shall  all  see  one  another  in  the  valley  of  Jehosophat.    I  shall 


1^  The  Da/y  of  Jtcdgment, 

see  you  and  you  shall  see  me.  Shall  we  be  on  the  right  united 
with  the  saints,  or  shall  we  be  found  among  the  wicked,  on 
the  left?  Alas,  what  a  misfortune  it  would  be  if  one  of  us 
were  to  be  found  among  the  ranks  of  the  wicked!  Shall  I, 
your  preacher,  be  found  on  the  left,  arrayed  in  sacerdotal 
garments,  with  the  mark  of  the  character  of  the  priesthood 
impressed  on  my  forehead?  St.  Jerome  so  feared  this  pos- 
sibility that  he  retired  into  a  cave  and  there  meditated  on 
the  terrible  sound  of  the  trumpet  which  was  to  call  him  to 
judgment,  and  beat  his  breast  with  a  rock  till  it  became  all 
livid  with  blows.  "  That  dreadful  voice  rings  still  in  my  ears, 
I  tremble  with  my  whole  body."  Should  not  I,  who  am  not  a 
saint,  but  a  humble  priest,  fear  much  more?  0  Jesus,  trem- 
bling in  every  limb  in  fear  of  that  day,  I  throw  myself  at  Thy 
feet  to  implore  mercy  for  myself  and  for  my  young  hearers. 
Now  Thou  art  the  Father  of  mercy;  then  Thou  shalt  be  the 
inexorable  Judge;  then  it  will  be  too  late  to  ask  for  mercy. 
What  am  I,  miserable  wretch,  going  to  say;  whom  will  I  en- 
gage as  my  patron,  when  even  the  just  will  tremble?  Look 
upon  us  now,  humble  and  contrite,  asking  for  the  pardon  of 
our  sins.  Never  again  will  we  commit  a  sin,  never  again  will 
we  utter  bad  words  or  blasphemies  or  curses,  nor  go  with  bad 
companions.  Dear  Jesus,  in  Thy  goodness  make  us  faithful 
to  Thee  and  let  us  not  be  separated  from  Thee.  Remember, 
sweet  Jesus,  that  for  our  salvation  Thou  didst  come  down 
from  heaven.  By  the  many  sufferings  Thou  didst  endure  we 
pray  Thee  to  have  mercy  on  us  and  save  us;  we  have  cost 
Thee  too  much  to  be  abandoned  by  Thy  mercy.  Yes;  save 
us,  save  us,  good  God,  God  of  mercy,  of  infinite  goodness, 
save  us! 

Eemember,  dear  Jesus,  that  Thou  didst  come  to  save  me: 
do  not  then  destroy  me  on  that  day:  Fountain  of  all  good- 
ness, save  me  I 


Second  Sunday  of  Advent.  17 


SECOND  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xi.  2-10.  At  that  time:  When  John  had  heard  in 
prison  the  works  of  Christ,  sending  two  of  his  disciples  he  said  to 
him:  Art  thou  he  that  art  to  come,  or  look  we  for  another?  And 
Jesus  making  answer  said  to  them:  Go  and  relate  to  John  what  you 
have  heard  and  seen.  The  blind  see,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are 
cleansed,  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  rise  again,  the  poor  have  the  Gospel 
preached  to  them:  And  blessed  is  he  that  shall  not  be  scandalized 
in  me.  And  when  they  went  their  way,  Jesus  began  to  say  to  the 
multitudes  concerning  John:  What  went  you  out  into  the  desert  to 
Bee?  a  reed  shaken  with  the  wind?  But  what  went  you  out  to 
see?  a  man  clothed  in  soft  garments?  Behold,  they  that  are  clothed 
in  soft  garments,  are  in  the  houses  of  kings.  But  what  went  you 
out  to  see?  a  prophet?  Yea,  I  tell  you,  and  more  than  a  prophet. 
For  this  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written:  Behold,  I  send  my  Angel  before 
thy  face,  who  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee. 

ST.  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST  SENDS  HIS  DISCIPLES  TO  CHRIST. 

John  the  Baptist  had  been  in  prison  some  time;  it  was  not 
for  crime,  but  for  the  zeal  he  showed  for  the  glory  of  God. 
Although  you  have  heard  the  story  many  times,  let  us  go 
over  it  again. 

The  impious  Herod  led  a  most  scandalous  life;  everybody 
knew  it,  still  no  one  dared  reprove  him  for  fear  of  incurring 
the  hatred  of  this  cruel  man.  But  John  the  Baptist,  to  whom 
the  glory  of  God  was  everything,  did  not  hesitate  to  say  to 
Herod,  "There  is  a  greater  king  than  you,  one  whom  you 
ought  to  respect,  but  whom  you  despise;  it  is  not  lawful  to 
lead  such  a  scandalous  life:  it  is  not  right.''  John  saw  that 
this  boldness  drew  upon  him  the  anger  of  the  king,  and  that 
in  the  end  it  would  cost  him  his  life;  still  he  did  not  cease  to 
say,  "  It  is  not  right."  Herod,  to  get  rid  of  these  reproofs, 
and  instigated  by  the  wicked  Herodias,  had  John  shut  up 
in  an  obscure  prison. 

See  then,  my  young  people,  the  ardent  zeal  of  John  the 
Baptist  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  God;    the  courage  he 


V 


18     St,  John  the  Bajptist  sends  his  Disciples  to  Christ 

possessed  to  make  a  firm  stand  against  vice.  If  you  had  but 
a  little  of  the  courage  of  this  sainted  man,  how  much  evil 
could  you  hinder!  When  you  are  with  that  careless  com- 
panion, who  at  play  or  at  his  work  will  break  out  into  blas- 
phemous words,  have  the  courage  to  say  to  him,  ^^It  is  not 
proper  to  talk  like  that,  it  is  not  lawful  to  curse;  ^  it  is  not 
right/  '^  If  in  ohurch  a  young  man  stands  beside  you  who 
instead  of  hearing  Mass  talks  and  laughs,  can  you  not  say  to 
him,  "  This  is  the  house  of  God,  the  house  of  prayer,  it  is  a 
holy  place  and  this  light  conduct  is  unseemly  here"?  If 
you  see  that  he  does  not  improve  in  his  conduct,  what  should 
you  do?  why,  tell  his  parents,  consult  with  them  as  to  the 
best  mean®  of  leading  him  to  a  better  life.  You  remember 
it  is  related  that  Joseph,  having  seen  his  brothers  commit 
a  most  wicked  act,  told  his  father  Jacob  of  it.  If  all  young 
people  would  act  that  way,  how  many  scandals  would  be 
avoided.  How  much  good  would  be  effected,  even  by  a  child 
who,  when  it  hears  the  father's  blasphemous  tongue,  would 
with  a  saddened  countenance,  but  mildly  and  respectfully. 
Bay,  "  Father,  it  is  not  right  for  you  to  get  into  such  a  rage 
about  so  slight  a  matter.'^ 

Should  the  child  see  that  the  father  troubles  himself  very 
little  about  the  observance  of  Sunday,  never  approaches  the 
sacraments  not  even  at  Easter;  in  short  cares  very  little  for 
the  duties  of  religion,  how  much  good  might  the  child  do  by 
a  quiet  and  determined  remonstrance,  saying,  "  Father,  it  is 
not  right  to  live  in  this  manner,  oblivious  of  Grod  and  your 
soul."  Should  the  child  see  meat  on  the  table  on  days  in 
which  its  use  is  forbidden,  what  a  correction  would  it  be  if 
he  said,  *^  I  do  not  eat  meat  on  these  days,  because  I  respect 
the  laws  of  the  Church  that  forbid  it.  Alas,  father  and 
mother,  what  a  dreadful  thing  you  are  doing!  what  scandal 
you  are  giving!  can  there  be  any  blessing  from  almighty  God 
on  a  family  in  which  such  things  are  done?  " 

John  was  in  prison,  as  is  stated  in  the  Gospel,  and  there 
lie  heard  of  the  works  of  Christ;  he  was  struck  with  astonish- 


Second  SundoAj  of  Advent.  19 

ment  at  the  great  fame  which  Our  Lord  had  acquired  by  His 
striking  miracles.  John  sent  two  of  his  disciples  to  Our 
Lord  to  askj  ^^  Art  Thou  He  that  art  to  come  or  look  we  for 
another?  ^^  John  the  Baptist  knew  very  well  that  Christ 
was  the  Messias,  but  he  wished  to  introduce  his  disciples  to 
Our  Lord  that  they  might  become  His  followers.  While 
they  were  on  this  embassy  they  saw  a  great  number  of 
miracles  and  Our  Lord  took  occasion  to  answer  the  ques- 
tions of  John:  "  Gro,"  He  said  to  them,  "  and  relate  to  John 
what  you  have  heard  and  seen.  The  blind  see,  the  lame 
walk,  the  lepers  are  cleaned,  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  rise 
again,  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached  to  them:  and  blessed 
is  he  that  shall  not  be  scandalized  in  Me."  Such,  then,  are 
the  miracles  which  Our  Lord  did  for  the  human  body;  but 
still  greater  are  those  He  works  on  the  soul.  How  many  sin- 
ners are  spiritually  blind,  and  He  gives  light  to  their  in- 
tellects that  they  may  understand  the  danger  they  are  in! 
How  many  are  spiritually  lame;  they  do  not  walk  in  the  path 
of  virtue  which  is  to  lead  them  to  heaven,  but  He  cures  them 
so  that  they  run  in  the  road  of  salvation  and  of  life!  How 
many  sinners  are  spiritual  lepers,  covered  from  head  to  foot 
with  loathsome  ulcers  of  sin;  He  cleanses  them;  they  be- 
come as  white  as  snow.  How  many  are  dead  to  His  grace; 
He  raises  them  from  this  death  and  gives  them  true  life. 
Many  such  miracles  He  has  wrought  on  you  and  many  such 
He  is  now  working.  Do  you  remember  when  you  fell  into 
mortal  sin?  You  were  blind,  lame,  leprous:  you  were  dead  to 
God,  but  God  gave  you  sight  and  hearing  when  He  infused 
into  you  the  grace  of  desiring  to  make  a  good  confession: 
'*  When  we  were  in  sin  He  revived  us  in  Christ." 

0,  that  you  could  recognize  as  you  should  the  benefits 
which  God  has  bestowed  on  you  in  calling  you  back  to  the 
life  of  grace!  These  are  greater  miracles  than  to  give  light 
to  the  eyes  of  the  body  or  to  make  the  deaf  hear.  St.  Greg- 
ory affirms  that  it  was  a  greater  miracle  to  have  converted 
St.  Paul  than  to  raise  Lazarus  to  life.    Thank  God  for  those 


<; 


20     St  John  the  Baptist  sends  his  Disciples  to  Christ, 

favors  you  have  received,  and  be  grateful  for  theiiL  Let  me 
suggest  another  reflection  which  is  very  important.  Our 
Redeemer  manifested  Himself  as  the  true  Messias  by  His 
good  works;  and  should  not  also  the  Ohristian,  who  ought 
to  be  an  imitator  of  Jesus,  show  that  he  is  a  follower  of  Our 
Lord  by  his  works,  and  the  sanctity  of  his  life?  But  how 
many  Christians  are  there  who,  instead  of  priding  themselves 
on  the  friendship  of  Christ,  become  followers  of  the  devil, 
are  asihamed  to  imitate  Christ  and  blaspheme  His  holy 
name!  They  are  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ.  St.  Augus- 
tine says,  "  Many  are  called  Christians  but  they  are  not  found 
to  be  connected  with  Christian  works;  they  are  called  by 
a  name  which  does  not  belong  to  them."  These  are  Christians 
in  name  only.  The  true  Christian  is  one  who  does  good 
works  and  leads  a  pure  life.  St.  Bernard  says  that  Christians 
are  called  after  Christ,  and  since  they  have  inherited  the 
name,  they  must  also  possess  the  sanctity. 

You,  0  Catholic  youth,  show  yourselves  true  followers  of 
Christ  by  your  virtuous  lives.  The  first  Christians  did  this; 
they  boldly  confessed  Christ  before  the  persecuting  tyrants, 
in  face  of  the  most  cruel  torments. 

The  following  example  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  courage 
of  the  early  Christians.  There  was  a  beautiful  but  delicate 
young  girl,  Blandina  by  name,  who  was  a  slave.  Her  mis- 
tress, who  was  also  a  Christian  and  died  a  martyr's  death, 
thought  that  Blandina  would  be  frightened,  and  would  not 
have  the  strength  to  profess  herself  a  Christian;  but  the 
slave  showed  heroic  courage  and  stood  firm  in  her  faith, 
though  she  tired  out  her  executioners  who  tortured  her 
cruelly  day  and  night.  All  were  astonished  that  such  a  deli- 
cate creature  should  live  through  torments  that  were  enough 
to  cause  death  in  ordinary  circumstances.  "I  am  a  Chris- 
tian,^' Blandina  said,  "  Christians  abhor  doing  evil." 

She  went  to  her  death  with  joy,  as  if  going  to  a  banquet; 
she  was  scourged,  placed  on  a  fiery  chair,  and  then,  inclosed 
in  a  net,  she  was  set  before  an  infuriated  bull  which  tossed 


Second  Sunday  of  Advent.  21 

her  in  the  air.  But  tlie  virgin  martyr  hardly  felt  the  tor- 
ments, for  her  mind  was  in  heaven.  At  last  she  was  be- 
headed, and  pagans  confessed  that  they  had  never  witnessed 
suoh  firmness,  such  indomitable  patience.  In  this  way  the 
martyrs  of  the  first  ages  of  Christianity  showed  their  love 
for  Christ. 

But  let  us  return  to  our  Gospel.  The  disciples  of  John  the 
Baptist  had  gone  away,  and  Our  Lord  turning  to  the  multi- 
tude said,  "  When  you  went  out  into  the  desert  to  meet  John 
the  Baptist,  what  did  you  expect  to  see?  A  reed  shaken  by 
the  wind?  '^ 

To  how  many  young  people  can  these  words  be  applied? 
Many  are  slender  reeds,  which  are  shaken  by  the  least  breath 
of  wind.  The  devil  places  before  them  some  temptation,  and 
at  once  they  yield  to  his  suggestion.  A  bad  companion 
comes  along  and  one  is  ready  to  join  him  in  committing 
any  sin.  Now  you  see  him  weeping  at  the  feet  of  his  con- 
fessor for  this  sin,  but  to-morrow  he  is  at  his  old  habits  again. 
To-day  you  see  him  praying  devoutly  to  Mary  or  the  saints, 
to-morrow  you  find  him  again  pursuing  unlawful  pleasures. 
Sometimes  you  see  him  with  a  good  book  in  his  hand,  but 
often  he  greedily  devours  bad  ones.  At  one  time  he  resolves 
to  give  up  bad  company,  but  soon  you  will  find  him  with 
them  again.  Yes,  they  are  slender  reeds!  The  least  difficulty 
in  the  service  of  God,  and  they  forget  their  good  resolutions. 

Be  ye  therefore  not  slender  reeds,  but  sturdy  oaks  that  bend 
not  to  every  wind  that  blows.  Imitate  the  firmness  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist.  Say  with  Job:  '^  Thine,  0  Lord,  I  have 
resolved  to  be  and  Thine  I  shall  remain."  Take  me,  0  Lord, 
from  this  world,  rather  than  allow  me  to  prove  unfaithful 
to  Thee.  "What  went  ye  out  to  see?  a  prophet?  Yea  I 
tell  you  and  more  than  a  prophet.  Behold  I  send  My  angel 
before  thy  face  who  shall  prepare  thy  way."  What  a  beau- 
tiful encomium  did  John  the  Baptist  receive  from  Our  Lord! 
He  calls  him  a  prophet,  and  more  than  a  prophet,  an  angel, 
a  messenger  of  God.    And  truly  St.  John  was  an  angel;  a 


22        The  Voice  of  One  Crying  in  the  Wilderness. 

messenger  of  God;  an  angel  not  in  form  but  in  deed,  an 
angel,  thougli  a  human  being,  on  this  earth;  an  angel,  be- 
cause he  never  lost  the  innocence  which  was  granted  him  by 
special  favor  from  his  mother's  womb;  an  angel,  by  his  con- 
stant virginity  and  spotless  purity. 

0  young  man  or  young  woman  who  have  preserved  your 
purity,  you  also  are  an  angel.  I  rejoice  with  you.  I  beg 
of  you,  with  all  my  heart,  to  remain  always  pure  and  inno- 
cent before  God,  and  then  with  John  the  Baptist  and  the 
angels  you  will  forever  enjoy  the  vision  of  your  Creator  in 
heaven. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT. 

Gospel.  John  i.  19-28.  At  that  time:  The  Jews  sent  from  Jerusalem 
priests  and  Levites  to  John  to  ask  him:  Who  art  thou?  And  he 
confessed  and  did  not  deny:  and  he  confessed:  I  am  not  the  Christ. 
And  they  asked  him:  What  then?  Art  thou  Elias?  And  he  said: 
I  am  not.  Art  thou  the  prophet?  And  he  answered:  No.  They 
said  therefore  unto  him:  Who  art  thou,  that  we  may  give  an  answer 
to  them  that  sent  us?  what  say  est  thou  of  thyself?  He  said:  I  am 
the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  make  straight  the  way  of 
the  Lord,  as  said  the  prophet  Isaias.  And  they  that  were  sent  were 
of  the  Pharisees.  And  they  asked  him  and  said  to  him:  Why  then 
dost  thou  baptize,  if  thou  be  not  Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  the  prophet? 
John  answered  them,  saying:  I  baptize  with  water;  but  there  hath 
stood  one  in  the  midst  of  you,  whom  you  know  not.  The  same  is  he 
that  shall  come  after  me,  who  is  preferred  before  me:  the  latchet  of 
whose  shoe  I  am  not  worthy  to  loose.  These  things  were  done  in 
Bethania  beyond  the  Jordan,  where  John  was  baptizing. 

THE    VOIOB    OF    ONE    CRYING    IN    THE    WILDERNESS. 

The  life  of  John  the  Baptist  is  still  continued  in  this 
Gospel.  The  appearance  of  John  created  quite  a  sensation  in 
his  time.  By  his  retirement  into  the  desert,  hy  his  austere 
penances,  by  his  pure  life,  by  the  force  of  his  preaching, 
he  had  attained  such  a  reputation  among  the  people  of  those 


Third  Sunday  of  Advent.  23 

days,  that  they  thought  perhaps  he  was  the  Messias,  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.  To  clear  away  their  doubts,  they  sent 
an  embassy  to  him  composed  of  priests  and  Levites,  to  ask 
him  who  he  was.  And  he  confessed  and  did  not  deny,  and 
protested  that  he  was  not  the  Messias. 

You  understand  from  this,  my  good  young  people,  that 
the  saints  humbled  themselves  the  more,  the  greater  honor 
they  received.  Not  so  with  us  poor  sinners.  Though  on 
account  of  our  many  sins  we  are  worthy  of  being  despised, 
we  look  for  the  esteem  of  men,  and  are  very  much  disturbed 
when  any  one  looks  upon  us  in  our  proper  character,  and 
does  not  give  us  the  honor  to  which  we  have  no  claim. 

But,  my  dear  young  people,  let  us  not  look  for  praise  or 
flattery  from  men,  who  are  very  shortsighted  in  their  judg- 
ment, and  who  frequently  praise  that  with  which  they  ought 
to  find  fault  on  good  grounds.  "  Sons  of  men  are  foolish;  they 
ore  lying  in  their  weights,  and  they  deceive  themselves  in 
their  vanity."  What  would  it  be  to  you  if  men  praised  you 
and  held  you  in  high  esteem,  if  before  God  you  were  wicked, 
miserable  and  poor  in  virtue?  Seek  then  to  please  God;  that 
should  be  your  glory.  "  Oh!  if  you  could  understand,"  says 
the  venerable  Father  Segneri,  "  how  to  appreciate  the  glory  of 
God! "  St.  Ephrem  held  the  esteem  of  men  in  such  abom- 
ination, that  at  one  time  when  he  was  praised,  he  became 
most  uncomfortable,  changed  color,  the  sweat  poured  from 
his  face  with  anguish,  and  he  lost  all  power  of  utterance.  St. 
Ignatius  said  he  would  rejoice  to  be  considered  crazy  by 
every  one.  And  when  he  was  at  the  point  of  death,  he  told 
his  companions  who  stood  around  his  bed,  to  throw  his  body 
into  any  vile  place,  like  a  dog's.  God''s  esteem  is  above  all 
things.  With  His  esteem  you  have  at  the  same  time  the 
esteem  of  all  the  choirs  of  angels,  who  are  more  numerous 
than  the  atoms  which  compose  the  earth,  the  esteem  of  the 
Apostles,  prophets,  the  martyrs,  and  of  all  the  saints.  Would 
you  renounce  all  this  glory  to  have  the  praise  of  poor  miser- 
able man?    But  to  possess  this  glory  from  God  you  have  to 


24        The  Voice  of  One  Crying  in  the  Wilderness, 

be  truly  humble,  since  before  God  there  is  no  vice  more  hate- 
ful than  pride.  To  keep  yourself  always  in  this  condition 
of  mind,  frequently  ask  yourself  the>  question,  "Who 
art  thou  ?  "  You  are  indeed  a  Christian,  but  how  much  is 
lacking  in  you  to  be  a  good  Christian?  How  far  are  you 
from  those  virtues  which  your  holy  profession  demands? 
What  little  fervor,  how  impatient,  how  unmortified  are  you! 
"Who  art  thou?"  Oh,  that  you  would  frequently  make 
these  reflections!  You  would  keep  yourself  humble,  you 
would  know  yourself  thoroughly,  and  you  would  make  great 
effort  to  remove  all  bad  'habits  from  your  heart  and  acquire 
all  the  beautiful  virtues  of  a  Christian  life. 

The  Jews  had  now  heard  and  been  convinced  that  John 
was  not  the  Messias.  "But  who  are  you?"  they  asked 
again.  "  Are  you  Elias?  Are  you  a  prophet?  "  Even  in  this 
he  refused  himself  a  title.  "  If  you  are  none  of  these,  who 
are  you?  what  do  you  say  of  yourself,  for  we  must  bring  word 
to  those  who  sent  us."  John  the  Baptist  answered,  "  I  am 
nothing  but  a  voice  crying  in  the  wilderness,  prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  Lord."  What  great  humility  is  this!  Yes,  he 
was  but  a  voice,  but  such  a  voice!  A  voice  of  thunder,  a 
voice  like  a  two-edged  sword  that  was  given  by  God  and 
fitted  by  Him  to  open  a  way  into  the  'hearts  of  that  hard- 
hearted and  stubborn  people.  Are  we  not  stubborn  and  hard- 
hearted, too,  in  our  day?  What  a  tremendous  prophet  would 
be  needed  to  shake  us  out  of  the  sleep  of  sin! 

In  this  sacred  time  of  Advent  we  hear  preachers  in  the 
churches  crying  out,  "  0,  ye  people  of  God,  prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  Lord!  "  But  there  are  many  sinners  who  will  not 
be  moved  by  these  words.  Are  not  these  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  angels  whom  God  has  sent  to  do  the  very  work  that 
John  the  Baptist  was  commissioned  to  perform?  It  is  the 
duty  of  a  priest  to  cry  out;  it  is  the  duty  of  the  people  to  lis- 
ten. But,  alas,  you  young  man,  you  hear  the  voice  of  the 
priest:  "  Christmas  is  close  at  hand;  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord;   in  order  that  He  may  come  to  your  soul,  cleanse  it 


Third  Sunday  of  Advent.  25 

from  evil,  cut  off  that  bad  friendship,  keep  away  from  that 
companion,  shmi  that  occasion  of  sin,  make  peace  with  God 
and  with  Jesus  also,  who  wishes  to  come  to  your  soul,  and  be 
bom  there  again  by  grace."  But  how  carelessly  you  listen  to 
that  invitation  of  Gk)d,  who  speaks  to  you  by  the  voice  of 
His  priest,  and  you  remain  obstinate  in  your  sins.  Yes,  my 
dear  young  people,  if  you  hear  God^s  voice,  do  indeed  open 
your  hearts  and  follow  His  instructions.  "  Lord,  what  wilt 
Thou  have  me  do?  "  you  will  say  with  a  strong  will.  There- 
fore "  If  you  hear  His  voice  hearken." 

St.  Peter  Damien  tells  of  a  very  wicked  man  who  had 
two  great  vices;  one  was  ambition,  which  brooked  no  opposi- 
tion from  anybody,  and  hence  he  was  the  personal  enemy 
of  any  that  opposed  him;  the  other  vice  was  impurity,  which 
sunk  him  into  the  most  filthy  excesses.  His  conscience  re- 
proved him  all  the  time  and  the  fear  of  death  often  made 
him  tremble;  but  to  these  pious  relics  of  a  good  education, 
he  would  say:  "  Some  other  time  I  shall  give  this  up."  Sev- 
eral times  he  was  on  the  point  of  going  to  confession,  but  the 
old  habit  of  putting  off  the  execution  of  his  resolution  pre- 
vailed.   He  was  found  dead;  'he  had  died  impenitent. 

But  to  prepare  the  way  of  Our  Lord  still  better,  not  only 
will  you  remove  every  sin  and  the  stain  of  it,  but  you  will 
also  imitate  the  life  of  John  the  Baptist.  St.  Augustine, 
speaking  of  St.  John,  says,  *^  In  the  Baptist  all  is  voice,  that 
admonishes  us  to  listen."  His  silence  in  the  desert  is  a  voice 
that  tells  us  not  to  talk  too  mueh,  especially  of  things  which 
offend  God.  His  fast  is  a  voice,  that  preaches  loudly  against 
the  excesses  of  eating  and  drinking,  of  which  we  are  fre- 
quently guilty,  especially  in  Lent  and  on  fast  days,  caring 
nothing  for  the  law  of  abstinence;  thus  giving  grave  scandal 
to  bad  Catholics.  The  camel^s-hair  covering  with  which  John 
was  scantily  clothed  in  order  to  do  penance,  is  a  loud  voice 
against  too  great  delicacy  toward  the  body.  His  retirement 
to  the  desert  is  a  voice  that  is  raised  against  our  continual 
dissipation.   . 


26        The  Voice  of  One  Crying  in  the  Wilderness. 

St.  John  preached  so  well,  by  the  example  of  every  virtue, 
that  the  people  learned  to  give  up  sin,  to  do  good,  and  to  de- 
vote themselves  to  the  service  of  God. 

If  you  young  people  would  be  less  dissipated  and  distracted 
in  your  life,  your  life,  too,  would  be  a  living  voice  to  your 
companions,  preaching  to  them.  If  you  were  respectful  to  your 
superiors,  you  would  teach  obedience  and  submission.  Cer- 
tainly the  life  of  a  good  young  man  is  a  great  lesson  to  others; 
if  he  is  obedient,  devout,  sensible,  decent,  and  quiet,  his 
companions  will  become  the  same.  A  good  life  is  a  sermon  to 
our  father,  mother,  and  superiors;  yes,  even  to  the  priest,  for 
seeing  the  young  man  pious,  sensible  and  devout,  frequenting 
the  sacraments,  always  going  to  church  on  Sundays  and 
holydays  of  obligation  he  will  become  edified  and  strength- 
ened in  'his  work  for  souls.  Thus  a  youth  will  sanctify  a 
family,  a  home,  a  school  and  his  companions. 

Now  listen  to  an  example  which  shows  how  a  good  son 
was  the  means  of  saving  his  father.  This  father  had  many 
sons;  the  oldest  was  so  pious  and  so  accustomed  from  his 
childhood  to  be  quiet  and  retired,  that  the  father  could  not 
endure  him,  but  ridiculed  him  on  all  occasions.  The  boy, 
however,  did  not  change  his  demeanor.  When  the  time  of 
the  fa.ther's  death  approached,  all  thought  he  would  disinherit 
the  son,  but  the  father,  who  'had  reflected  on  the  injustice 
he  had  committed  against  this  young  man,  had  him  brought 
to  his  bedside,  and  with  tears  he  said:  "Forgive  me,  my 
son,  and  pray  almighty  God  to  forgive  me  too.  You  sought 
the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  I  had  no  other  thought  than 
of  the  things  of  this  world."  He  then  sent  for  his  other  sons, 
and  turning  to  his  good  son  said:  "  Here  is  your  father,  and 
your  master;  do  what  he  tells  you,  I  leave  my  property  in 
his  hands  to  divide  among  you  as  he  wishes;  this  is  my  last 
will."  These  words  made  an  impression  on  all  present. 
When  the  father  was  dead  the  good  son  divided  the  property 
among  his  brothers,  but  his  own  share  he  gave  to  the  poor. 
Theai  he  went  away  and  built  a  little  cell,  there  to  pass  the 


Third  Sunday  of  Advent.  27 

remainder  of  his  days.  Thus  it  was  that  the  beautiful  life 
of  the  son  was  a  lesson  to  the  father,  and  the  cause  of  his 
happy  death. 

In  the  same  manner  let  your  life  be  such  before  men,  that 
it  will  edify  them  and  be  a  direct  war  on  sin,  as  was  the  life 
of  John  the  Baptist. 

The  Pharisees  who  were  on  this  embassy  to  John,  were  not 
quite  satisfied,  and  they  said:  "If  you  are  not  Christ,  or 
Elias,  or  a  prophet,  why  then  do  you  baptize?"  "I,"  he 
answered,  "baptize  only  in  water  as  a  preparation  for  the 
Baptism  which  will  take  away  sins,  and  which  will  be  given 
by  another  who  is  already  among  you  and  you  do  not  know 
Him.  He  is  the  One  who  is  to  come  after  me,  but  who  was 
already  before  me,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoe  I  am  unworthy 
to  loose." 

How  many  young  people  could  apply  to  themselves  the 
same  reproof  !  You  have  Jesus,  the  Saviour,  among  you, 
and  you  know  Him  not.  If  you  knew  Him  would  you  not 
visit  Him,  would  you  not  adore  Him  in  His  holy  tabernacle, 
would  you  not  approach  frequently  His  sacred  table?  How 
many  young  people  live  in  forgetfulness  of  Our  Lord!  they 
rarely  visit  Him,  and 'hardly  know  that  they  should  genuflect 
before  Him  when  He  is  exposed  to  public  worship. 

Our  Lord  is  with  us  also  in  another  way;  that  is  by  His 
presence  in  our  'hearts.  Make  an  effort  to  know  Him,  and 
remember  always  the  presence  of  God.  Which  of  you  in 
the  presence  of  a  king  would  dare  to  perform  even  an  act 
of  incivility?  Remembering  that  you  are  seen  by  God,  strive 
to  honor  Him  by  acts  of  love,  adoration  and  gratitude  for  the 
many  mercies  He  has  shown  you.  Since  He  is  a  king  who 
wisihes  to  reign  in  your  heart,  and  to  do  you  much  good, 
permit  Him  to  direct  your  will  and  your  actions  in  the  ways 
of  His  providence.  Ask  Him  to  assist  you,  to  give  you 
strength  in  temptation,  to  give  you  courage  in  your  labors, 
and  to  make  you  rich  in  your  poverty.  Never  lose  sight  of 
your  King;    you  will  thus  surely  love  Him  with  all  your 


28  The  Baptism  of  Penance, 

heart,  and  He  will  never  cease  to  pour  upon  you  the  abun- 
dance of  His  graces.  At  the  hour  of  your  death,  Jesus  will 
console  you.  He  will  be  your  last  food  in  the  viaticum;  and 
when  your  friends  will  stand  near  you,  unable  to  help  you, 
Jesus  will  be  there  to  assist  you  in  your  last  agony. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVEISTT. 

Gospel.  Lvke  iii.  1-6.  Now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of 
Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius  Pilate  being  governor  of  Judea,  and  Herod 
being  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  and  Philip  his  brother  tetrareh  of 
Iturea  and  the  country  of  Trachonitis,  and  Lysanias  tetrarch  of 
Abilina,  under  the  high-priests  Annas  and  Caiphas:  the  word 
of  the  Lord  was  made  unto  John  the  son  of  Zachary,  in  the 
desert.  And  he  came  into  all  the  country  about  Jordan,  preaching 
the  baptism  of  penance  for  the  remission  of  sins,  as  it  was  written 
in  the  book  of  the  sayings  of  Isaias  the  prophet:  A  voice  of  one  cry- 
ing in  the  wilderness:  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight 
his  paths.  Every  valley  shall  be  filled:  and  every  mountain  and  hill 
shall  be  brought  low:  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and 
the  rough  ways  plain.    And  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God. 

THE  BAPTISM  OF  PHN-ANCE. 

The  day  is  close  upon  us  on  which  the  Mes^as,  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  the  King  of  the  people,  the  Prince  of 
peace,  the  Desired  of  nations,  is  to  appear  on  the  earth. 

Christmas  is  near.  You,  my  children,  must  make  every 
effort  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  coming  of  Our  Saviour. 
When  a  great  king  is  about  to  visit  a  city,  what  a  commotion 
and  bustle  there  is!  Every  one  makes  the  most  magnificent 
preparations  in  his  power.  Our  duty  is  not  to  a  monarch  of 
this  world,  but  to  the  King  of  kings,  the  omnipotent  God  of 
iheaven  and  earth. 

You  understand,  then,  that  it  is  certainly  necessary  to  make 
Bome  preparation.  St.  John  was  sent  to  indicate  what  prep- 
aration is  to  be  made,  and  you  ought  to  think  of  his  direc- 
tions and  follow  them. 


Fourth  SundoAj  of  Advent,  29 

St.  John  the  Baptist,  by  the  inspiration  of  God,  left 
the  desert  which  he  had  inOiabited  for  thirty  years,  and  be- 
tcK)k  himseM  to  the  banks  of  the  river  Jordan.  John,  who 
in  all  that  time  had  seldom  spoken  to  any  one,  boldly  began 
to  preach  penance,  inviting  the  people  who  flocked  to  him 
to  be  baptized  as  a  sign  of  the  amendment  of  their  lives. 
'^Do  penance,"  he  cried,  "for  the  kingdom  of  G-od  is  at 
hand."  Well  fitted  was  he  to  preach  that  penance  of  w^hich 
he  had  become  master.  His  appearance  indicated  the  morti- 
fied man;  a  girdle  of  leather  bound  his  body;  his  shoulders 
were  covered  with  cameFs  hair;  he  lived  in  nO'  house,  but 
under  the  open  sky,  suffering  cold  and  heat,  winds  and  rain. 
His  food  was  locusts  and  wild  honey,  water  was  his  drink. 
Such  a  prodigy  of  self-denial  from  his  very  infancy,  as  if  he 
came  from  another  world,  certainly  drew  the  attention  of  the 
religiously  inclined.  Even  soldiers  and  publicans  came  to 
him  attracted  by  his  austerity,  and  asked  what  they  should 
do.  Every  condition  of  life  was  represented;  every  sex,  every 
age;  all  were  there,  and  repeated  the  same  question.  They 
confessed  their  sins  and  did  penance.  This  is  what  you  ought 
to  do  to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord. 

I  know  indeed,  my  dear  children,  that  while  you  have 
preserved  your  innocence  it  is  not  necessary  that  I  should 
insist  very  particularly  on  penance;  but  what  child  is  there 
that  has  not  known  what  sin  is,  and  therefore  I  am  right  in 
preaching  penance  even  to  you. 

But  I  would  certainly  not  ask  you  to  do  any  of  the  heroic 
penances  such  as  Jdhn  the  Baptist  practiced.  For  great  and 
older  sinners  great  penances  are  necessary,  and  they  have 
practiced  them,  as  you  know  from  history.  Mary  Magdalen, 
St.  Peter,  St.  Paul.  The  great  act  of  penance  which  is  re- 
quired even  of  you  is  to  make  a  humble  confession  at  the 
feet  of  the  servant  of  God  in  the  confessional. 

But  even  this  light  mark  of  penance  does  not  come  easy 
to  some  young  people  who  have  already  fallen  into  sin.  After 
having  committed  the  sins,  they  hide  them  in  their  breasts; 


30  The  Baptism  of  Pencmce, 

shame  closes  their  mouths  to  the  confessor;  when  asked  about 
them  they  deny  having  committed  them.  To  such  I  will  say: 
'^  It  is'  either  conifession  or  damnation."  The  alternative  is 
not  hard  to-  choose,  but  you  will  find  many  who  would  rather 
be  damned  "than  generously  declare  their  sins. 

The  priest  never  thinks  less  of  the  penitent  who  makes 
a  clear  confession.  A  youth  once  went  to  confess-ion  to 
St.  Francis  de  Sales.  He  had  horrible  sins  to  tell,  but  he  con- 
fessed them  sincerely  and  with  sorrow.  When  the  confession 
was  over  he  said  to  the  saint  with  a  blush:  "  Father,  what  must 
you  think  of  me  when  you  hear  of  such  enormous  sins?'' 
^^  My  son,''  answered  the  saint,  embracing  him,  "  what  do  I 
think  of  you?  I  think  you  are  a  saint.  A  moment  ago  you 
were  a  real  devil,  but  now  God  has  pardoned  you  and  you  are 
a  saint." 

If  this  was  the  thought  of  a  saint  about  his  penitent,  why 
should  you  blush  'to  tell  all  your  sins  in  confession?  But 
should  you  still  feel  a  repugnance  when  you  go  to  confession 
address  yourself  to  Mary,  and  she  will  obtain  for  you  the 
grace  of  a  sincere  and  open  confession. 

There  was  once  a  girl  who  had  committed  a  fault  and  had 
not  the  courage  to  confess  it.  For  eight  years  she  carried 
that  unhappy  ulcer  of  sin  about  her  on  her  conscience. 
Though  she  knew  it  was  a  mortal  sin,  still  she  went  to  con- 
fession and  communion.  Outwardly  she  was  calm,  but  her 
heart  was  torn  by  unbearable  remorse.  She  looked  happy, 
but  she  was  far  from  being  so.  At  last  on  Annunciation  day 
she  knelt  before  the  image  of  our  mother  Mary  and  cried 
most  bitterly,  begging  her  to  gain  her  grace  to  tell  this  fault. 
She  obtained  the  grace  and  lived  a  saintly  life  afterwards. 

There  are  many  who  confess  their  sins  indeed,  but  not  with 
sorrow;  it  is  only  by  word  of  mouth  they  detest  them. 

What  did  you  do  when  you  committed  that  wicked  deed? 
You  offended  a  good  God  who  has  created  you,  preserved  and 
redeemed  you,  and  for  no  other  reason  than  to  satisfy  the 
demands  of  a  vile  passion  and  degrading  habit;   and  by  so 


Fourth  Sunday  of  Advent,  81 

doing  you  deprived  yourself  of  God's  grace,  you  refused  Him 
His  honor  and  glory,  you  gave  yourself  over  to  the  power 
of  Satan.  Can  you  find  a  youth  w'ho  will  take  such  a  view 
of  sin?    Very  seldom. 

This  is  the  kind  of  penance  which  St.  John  wants  when  he 
says,  "  Do  penance.  Bring  forth  fruits  worthy  of  penance." 
And  thus  it  is  that  the  young  man  who  has  not  a  real  sorrow 
for  his  faults  continues  to  live  in  sin,  and  though  ostensibly 
repenting  of  his  sins  commits  them  over  and  over. 

What  kind  of  repentance  is  this  ?  True  repentance  demands 
a  real  sorrow  for  sin,  and  the  resolution  not  to  commit  it  again. 

What  must  be  foremost  in  the  penitent's  mind  is  the  hatred 
of  sin,  the  abomination  of  that  which  is  so  evil,  however 
pleasing  it  may  be  to  our  senses.  What  hatred  is  there  for 
a  sin  that  is  committed  again?  Let  us  suppose  that  a  Jew 
is  going  to  become  a  Christian.  What  great  consolation  such 
an  event  is  to  all.  The  day  approaches  when  he  is  to  be 
baptized.  He  goes  to  the  ehurch  and  there  is  a  great  feast 
made.  But  soon  he  returns  to  the  belief  of  the  Synagogue. 
What  a  disappointment,  what  a  feeling  of  'disgust,  yes,  even 
of  hatred,  at  such  'a  miserable  wretch!  If  he  believed  in  the 
faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  true  one,  why  did  he  leave  it? 
If  false,  why  did  he  become  a  Christian?  But  after  a  while 
he  declares  he  believes  again  in  Christ  and  yet,  for  a  second 
time,  he  perverts  and  becomes  a  Jew.  Would  you  say  that 
he  was  ever  a  real  Christian?  No  indeed;  he  pretended  to 
be  one,  he  was  always  a  Jew,  he  never  had  the  true  faith. 

Let  us  apply  this  to  ourselves.  Can  you  really  call  him 
penitent  who  to-day  confesses  'his  sins  and  says  he  repents 
of  them,  but  who  never,  even  for  a  moment,  breaks  off  his 
attachment  to  sin,  and  to-morrow  wilfully  commits  the  same 
sins  again?  Does  he  not  clearly  prove  that  he  loves  his  sins? 
This  is  making  a  mockery  of  God.  The  Lord  compares 
such  repentance  to  the  dog  that  returns  to  its  vomit.  St.  Paul 
says  that  such  people  despise  the  kindness  of  God.  Will  those 
who  thus  continue  to  sin  ever  have  the  peace  of  God  in  their 


32  Ttie  Baptism  of  Penance. 

souls?  Oh,  no!  The  holy  peace  of  a  pardoned  sinner  Grod 
gives  only  to  the  just,  to  His  friends,  not  to  those  who  return 
again  and  again  to  their  sins.  Can  they  expect  the  blessing  of 
God  at  the  birth  of  the  divine  Infant?  No,  but  they  may  be 
sure  that  maledictions  will  descend  upon  them. 

My  dear  children,  do  all  you  can  to  prepare  the  way  of 
Our  Lord;  with  the  Prophet  Ezechiel  I  say  to  you,  "  Be  con- 
verted and  do  penance  for  all  your  iniquities;  cast  away 
from  you  all  your  transgressions  by  which  you  have  trans- 
gressed, and  make  to  yourselves  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit.^' 
With  St.  Augustine  I  call  on  you  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord  by  ornamenting  your  souls  with  the  magnificent  virtues 
of  sobriety,  chastity,  and  charity.  You  must  make  your- 
selves worthy  to  receive  the  loving  caresses  of  the  Child  Jesus, 
not  only  by  being  sober  in  eating  and  drinking,  but  by  being 
careful  and  sober  in  speaking,  careful  about  the  books  you 
read.  With  sobriety  practice  purity,  too.  You  know  how 
highly  Our  Lord  values  that  virtue,  for  He  would  have  no 
other  than  an  immaculate  Mother  and  He  Himself  was  called 
the  immaculate  Lamb.  Your  thoughts  must  be  pure,  also 
your  looks,  your  words,  your  affections,  and  all  your  actions. 
By  them  sbow  a  pure  and  innocent  heart.  With  all  this 
you  must  not  forget  great  love  and  charity,  for  what  are  all 
virtues  without  the  love  of  God?  St.  Augustine  shows  us  in 
many  places  how  we  should  love  Our  Lord.  With  this  great 
doctor  let  us  say,  "  I  love  Thee,  0  Saviour,  I  desire  to  love 
Thee  more.  Thou  art  an  infinite  God  and  therefore  Thou 
deservest  to  be  loved  with  'an  infinite  love.  Sweet  Infant 
Jesus,  come  to  my  heart,  and  do  not  delay  any  longer." 

Thus  the  saints  loved,  and  the  Child  Jesus  was  so  pleased 
with  the  tenderness  of  their  love  that  He  sometimes  visited 
them  and  spoke  to  them  words  of  love. 

:St.  Gustave  at  the  approach  of  Christmas  felt  such  a  love 
for  the  coming  of  Our  Lord,  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  herself 
came  from  heaven  and  placed  the  Infant  Jesus  in  his  arms 
on  Christmas  night. 


Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  Christmas.  33 

St.  Laurence  Justinian,  when  he  said  Mass  one  Christmas, 
fell  into  an  ecstasy  at  the  consecration  and  stood  there  like 
one  turned  to  stone.  When  the  acolyte  saw  this,  he  went  up 
to  him  and  pushed  him,  so  as  to  rouse  ihim.  The  saint 
started  as  if  wakened  from  a  heavy  slumber  and  said:  '^  Why, 
yes,  I  will  go  on  with  the  Mass,  but  what  is  to  be  done  with 
this  beautiful  child? '' 

What  a  glorious  thing  would  it  not  be  to  'have  such  a  love 
for  Our  Lord!  We  would  then  know  how  to  prepare  for  the 
birth  of  the  Child  Jesus.  We  would  hardly  need  any  in- 
structions, because  love  would  tell  us  what  to  do.  He  would 
come  and  make  His  throne  in  our  hearts.  He  would  fulfil 
all  our  wishes,  and  give  us  great  graces. 

SUNDAY   WITHIN   THE   OCTAVE   OF   CHEISTMAS. 

Gospel.  Luke  ii.  33-40.  At  that  time  Joseph^  and  Mary,  the  Mother 
of  Jesus,  were  wondering  at  those  things,  which  were  spoken  con- 
cerning him.  And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  to  Mary  his 
mother:  Behold  this  child  is  set  for  the  fall,  and  for  the  resurrection 
of  many  in  Israel,  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  contradicted.  And 
thy  own  soul  a  sword  shall  pierce,  that  out  of  many  hearts  thoughts 
may  be  revealed.  And  there  was  one  Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter 
of  Phanuel,  of  the  tribe  of  Aser:  she  was  far  advanced  in  years,  and 
had  lived  with  her  husband  seven  years  from  her  virginity.  And 
she  was  a  widow  until  fourscore  and  four  years;  who  departed  not 
from  the  temple,  by  fastings  and  prayers  serving  night  and  day.  Now 
she  at  the  same  hour  coming  in,  confessed  to  the  Lord;  and  spoke  of 
him  to  all  that  looked  for  the  redemption  of  Israel.  And  after  they 
had  performed  all  things  according  to  the  law  of  the  Lord,  they  re- 
turned into  Galilee,  into  their  city  Nazareth.  And  the  child  grew, 
and  waxed  strong,  full  of  wisdom:   and  the  grace  of  God  was  in  him. 

THE  PEESENTATION"  OF   OUK  LOED  IN"  THE   TEMPLE. 

Chkistmas  is  over;  with  the  angels  we  have  sung  the 
beautiful  anthem,  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on 
earth  peace  to  men  of  good  will."  We  have  witnessed  the 
tears  of  the  Child  Jesus,  but  we  know  that  those  tears  were 


34      The  Presentation  of  Our  Lord  in  the  Temple, 

tears  of  lave,  and  for  that  reason,  they  did  not  distress  us, 
but  gave  us  consolation. 

To-day,  with  the  joy  of  Christmas  still  in  our  hearts,  we 
come  with  the  Holy  Family  and  other  pious  people  to  the 
Temple  to  witness  the  ceremony  of  the  Presentation.  The 
first  time  Our  Lord  goes  out  into  the  world.  He  directs  His 
Mother  to  carry  Him  to  church.  The  moral  I  wish  to 
draw  from  this  Gospel,  dear  young  people,  is,  that  you  should 
think  much  of  the  house  of  Grod  on  earth.  We  must  also 
imitate  the  example  of  Christ  and  while  in  church  beg  our 
dear  Lord  to  inflame  our  souls  more  and  more  with  His  holy 
love. 

There  are  many  who  do  not  love  the  Church,  through  some 
depravity  of  heart,  or  the  bad  example  of  others.  Will  such 
be  dear  to  Jesus?  Will  He  love  such  as  these?  Jesus  weeps 
for  them. 

Mary  and  Joseph  heard  the  great  prophecy  which  Simeon 
had  spoken;  they  wondered  at  it,  they  thanked  God  for  the 
light  bestowed  upon  Simeon,  and  also  that  they  had  been 
made  instruments  of  His  divine  providence. 

We,  too,  my  dear  young  people,  must  rejoice  at  the  honors 
which  God  gives  His  Son,  as  we  must  weep  when  we  see  Him 
suffer.  Yes,  when  you  see  Our  Lord  honored,  feel  joyful  and 
be  happy;  when  you  see  Him  despised,  be  sad  of  heart.  Is 
not  this  Jesus  your  good  God?  your  beloved  Eedeemer  who 
shed  His  precious  blood  for  you?  Can  you  witness  the  out- 
rages which  are  heaped  upon  Him  without  resenting  them, 
or  at  least  trying  to  hinder  them?  What  would  you  say  of  a 
son  who  saw  his  father  badly  used,  and  looked  on  carelessly 
and  coldly?  Should  not  a  boy  feel  a  natural  impulse  to 
defend  his  father  by  word  and  deed?  Well,  he  that  loves 
Jesus  Christ  should  at  least  feel  compassion  when  His  holy 
religion  is  insulted.  St.  Teresa  once  said  that  a  soul  which 
loves  Our  Lord  would  sooner  die  than  see  Him  despised 
or  neglected.  Elias  the  prophet,  not  to  witness  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  Jewish  people,  hid  himself  in  a  cave,  and  there 


Sunday  wit  kin  the  Oct(me  of  Christmas,  35 

prayed  that  God  would  take  him  out  of  this  life  rather  than 
he  should  see  Him  offended. 

After  Simeon  had  congratulated  Mary  and  Joseph  on  their 
glorious  future,  he  spoke  of  the  sorrows  that  awaited  Mary. 
'^  This  child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  the  resurrection  of  many 
in  Israel,  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be'  contradicted;  and 
thy  own  soul  a  sword  shall  pierce,  that  out  of  many  hearts 
thoughts  may  be  revealed/' 

What  a  terrible  prophecy  this!  Is  it  possible  that  this 
Child,  who  has  come  to  this  world  for  the  salvation  of  His 
people,  should  indeed  be  the  cause  of  the  damnation  of 
many?  To  whom  will  He  be  a  ruin?  to  many  in  Israel,  in 
the  true  church.  He  will  be  a  ruin  to  infidels  and  heretics 
who  will  not  believe  in  Him;  a  ruin  to  the  proud  who  will 
not  bow  their  heads  in  humility  and  faith,  and  to  many 
Christians.  But  what  Christians  will  be  damned  by  the  com- 
ing of  Christ?  Those  who  are  so  only  in  name;  who  do  the 
works  of  the  heathen  and  live  in  sin;  who  offend  and 
blaspheme  Our  Lord,  even  though  they  were  brought  up 
Catholics.  This  divine  Infant  will  also  be  the  ruin  of  many 
young  people,  of  those  who  from  their  earliest  childhood 
cared  little  for  Him,  drove  Him  from  their  hearts  to  make 
room  for  the  devil.  He  will  be  the  utter  ruin  of  those  who, 
not  content  to  lead  bad  lives  themselves,  lead  others  astray 
by  giving  bad  example  or  by  bad  conversation.  The  divine 
Infant  is  presented  to-day  in  the  Temple.  There  is  nothing 
dreadful  about  Him  now;  but  one  day  they  shall  see  Him, 
fierce  as  a  lion;  they  shall  see  Him  as  a  God,  scattering  His 
thunderbolts  among  sinners;  He  will  demand  of  them  the 
strictest  account  of  all  their  works,  of  all  the  souls  they  have 
ruined,  and  of  whose  eternal  damnation  they  have  been  the 
cause.  May  this  prophecy  not  be  realized  in  you.  Then  it 
will  be  too  late  to  please  Him;  no  more  time  for  mercy,  but 
for  justice. 

There  was  once  a  young  man  at  the  point  of  death,  who 
had  led  a  bad  life;  the  priest  came  and  presented  the  crucifix 


36       The  Presentation  of  Our  Lord  in  the  Temple, 

to  him  to  kiss,  saying,  ^'  Here,  my  son,  is  your  hope/'  The 
young  man  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  cross  and  said,  "  Yes,  you 
say  truly.  He  is  my  hope,  but  He  is  now  the  cause  of  my 
despair,"  and  these  were  his  last  words. 

Be  you,  my  dear  young  people,  faithful  to  Jesus,  try  to 
know  Him  well,  do  not  offend  Him,  but  love  Him  with  a 
great  love;  then  He  will  be  your  salvation  and  eternal  life. 

But,  0  Mary,  my  mother,  what  is  that  prophecy  which 
Simeon  makes  concerning  you:  "  Thy  own  soul  a  sword 
shall  pierce"?  In  her  subsequent  life  we  see  the  prophecy 
verified.  A  sword  of  sorrow  pierced  her  very  soul,  when  she 
saw  her  divine  Son  insulted,  made  an  object  of  hatred, 
crowned  with  thorns,  and  cruelly  nailed  to  a  cross.  Our 
minds  cajinot  realize  the  pain  which  Mary  had  to  suffer.  We 
know  that  our  sins  have  been  the  cause  of  the  Passion  and 
death  of  Our  Lord.  Let  us,  therefore,  weep  all  our  life  for 
the  sins  we  have  committed,  and  not  renew  the  Passion  of 
Our  Lord  or  the  sufferings  of  Mary.  The  Blessed  Virgin 
once  appeared  to  St.  Lutgard,  looking  very  sad;  the  saint 
asked  her  why  it  was  so.  Mary  replied,  ^'  How  can  I  be  joy- 
ful when  so  many,  day  after  day,  give  me  new  cause  of  sor- 
row by  again  crucifying  my  most  holy  Son?"  She  also  ap- 
peared to  Blessed  Mcoletta  Franciscana  with  her  Child 
covered  with  terrible  wounds,  and  said,  "  See  how  sinners 
treat  my  Son,  inflicting  on  Him  mortal  wounds,  and  giving 
me  also  fresh  cause  of  sorrow."  St.  Alphonsus  says  that  when 
we  sin  we  take  the  hammer,  and  most  unmercifully  pierce  the 
hands  and  feet  of  Jesus  with  nails,  and  then  we  turn  on 
Mary,  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  and  plunge  the  sword  of  sorrow 
deep  into  her  soul. 

But  let  us  follow  the  story  of  the  Gospel:  There  was  in  the 
Temple  at  the  same  time  a  woman,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel 
of  the  tribe  of  Aser;  she  was  eighty  years  old,  and  after  the 
death  of  her  husband,  had  remained  about  the  Temple  serv- 
ing the  priests  and  engaged  in  prayer;  she  knew  Our  Lord 
at  once,  adored  Him,   and  proclaimed   Him  the   Saviour; 


Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  Christ7nas.  37 

then,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  she  told  them  of  the  mar- 
vels of  God^s  mercy,  who  had  at  last  sent  the  Messias. 

You  see,  my  dear  young  people,  how  that  holy  woman 
who  served  Our  Lord  in  silence  and  retirement,  deserved  so 
great  a  grace,  so  great  a  light  of  inspiration,  as  to  be  enabled 
to  know  Jesus.  You,  also,  should  love  retirement,  love  to  be 
near  Our  Lord  in  the  Temple;  speak  often  to  Jesus  in 
prayer,  and  then  the  Saviour  will  bring  light  to  your  souls, 
and  speak  to  your  hearts  words  of  eternal  life. 

But  there  is  something  else  to  be  considered  in  the  story 
of  this  saintly  old  woman.  We  have  in  our  cities  and  vil- 
lages many  who  imitate  this  St.  Anna.  Let  me  say  some- 
thing in  praise  of  these:  they  would  willingly  remain  in 
the  church,  day  and  night,  if  they  were  permitted.  We 
call  them  devotees.  They  are  peculiar  in  their  ways,  con- 
sidered crazy,  derided  by  the  good  and  bad  as  useless  peo- 
ple; but  perhaps  they  are  high  in  the  esteem  of  God.  God 
gives  more  light  to  the  simple  and  unpretending  than  to  the 
philosophers  who  are  puffed  up  with  the  pride  of  their  in- 
tellect, and  use  it  only  to  despise  what  they  do  not  approve. 
You  remember  that  beautiful  story  of  St.  Catharine;  she  had 
a  great  dispute  with  some  learned  professors  in  one  of  the 
universities  of  Alexandria,  Egypt,  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
Emperor  Maximian,  she  so  convinced  them  of  their  errors, 
that  many  became  Christians  and  afterwards  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom. It  is  told  of  another  martyr,  who  was  a  poor  igno- 
rant man,  a  laborer  in  the  field,  but  who  had  studied  Our 
Lord  crucified;  this  man,  when  he  had  been  judged  guilty 
of  disrespect  to  the  gods  and  was  condemned  to  death,  made 
such  a  grand  appeal  to  the  emperor,  that  the  tyrant  himself 
acknowledged  he  was  acting  only  from  hatred  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  and  not  for  the  love  of  truth.  These  devotees 
in  the  sight  of  the  world  are  useless,  but  we  know  that  they 
have  consecrated  their  lives  to  the  service  of  God.  There  are 
also  monks  and  nuns  who  spend  much  of  their  time  in 
prayer.   Are  these  people  to  be  called  pious  idlers?   Do  they 


38  The  Finding  in  the  Temple, 

encumber  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  should  they  be  scattered 
as  they  have  been  in  some  countries?  0,  how  poor  and  mis- 
erable human  beings  are!  They  let  vice  walk  openly  in  the 
world,  and  take  little  trouble  about  it;  but  when  poor  Ee- 
ligious  gather  together  to  pray,  it  makes  them  desperate, 
and  they  do  not  stop  until  they  have  succeeded  in  suppressing 
them. 

The  Gospel  ends  by  telling  us  that  Our  Lord  lived  at 
Nazareth,  and  grew  in  age  and  grace  before  God  and  man. 
My  dear  young  people,  strive  to  grow  in  goodness,  in  virtue, 
and  in  sanctity,  for  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  we  all  should  be 
saints. 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

Gospel.  Luke  ii.  42-52.  When  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old  they 
going  up  into  Jerusalem  according  to  the  custom  of  the  feast,  and 
having  fulfilled  the  days,  when  they  returned,  the  child  Jesus  re- 
mained in  Jerusalem,  and  his  parents  knew  it  not.  And  thinking 
that  he  was  in  the  company,  they  came  a  day's  journey,  and  sought 
him  among  their  kinsfolk  and  acquaintance.  And  not  finding  him, 
they  returned  into  Jerusalem  seeking  him.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  after  three  days  they  found  him  in  the  temple  sitting  in  the 
midst  of  the  doctors,  hearing  them  and  asking  them  questions.  And 
all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at  his  wisdom  and  his  answers. 
And  seeing  him,  they  wondered.  And  his  mother  said  to  him:  Son, 
why  hast  thou  done  so  to  us?  behold  thy  father  and  I  have  sought 
thee  sorrowing.  And  he  said  to  them:  How  is  it  that  you  sought 
me?  did  you  not  know  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's  business? 
And  tliey  understood  not  the  word  that  he  spoke  unto  them.  And 
he  went  down  with  them,  and  came  to  Nazareth;  and  was  subject 
to  them.  And  his  mother  kept  all  these  words  in  her  heart.  And 
Jesus  advanced  in  wisdom  and  age,  and  grace  with  God  and  men. 

THE  FINDING  IN  THE  TEMPLE. 

This  da/s  Gospel  is  especially  adapted  for  children,  who 
can  draw  from  it,  even  in  their  hnmble  way  of  thinking, 
many  -useful  lessons.     The  law  of  Moses  commanded  every 


First  Sunday  after  Ejpijpliamy,  39 

man  of  the  Hebrew  nation  to  go  to  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem 
at  the  time  of  the  Passover.  When  Jesus  was  twelve  years 
old,  having  come  tO'  the  use  of  reason  ax3cording  to  human 
judgment^  He  went  to  Jerusalem  with  His  parents.  During 
the  seven  days  of  the  feast  they  remained  in  the  city;  then 
they  went  back  to  Nazareth.  In  those  days  it  was  customary 
for  those  who  attended  the  Passover  to  travel  in  separate 
bands;  the  men  in  one,  the  women  in  another,  while  the 
children  could  accompany  either.  Mary  thought  that  Jesus 
was  with  Joseph,  and  Joseph  thought  He  was  with  Mary,  so, 
not  at  all  uneasy,  they  journeyed  homeward.  When  in  the 
evening  they  came  together  at  the  khan,  it  became  evident 
that  the  Child  Jesus  was  lost  or  left  in  Jerusalem.  Eealize, 
if  you  can,  the  dreadful  anguish  of  the  heart  of  Mary  at  that 
time.  To  feel  with  her  on  this  occasion,  we  should  keep  be- 
fore our  minds  the  tender  love  she  bore  Jesus. 

My  dear  children,  have  you  ever  lost  Jesus?  Who  knows 
how  often?  How  many  times  have  you  ignominiously  put 
Him  out  of  your  hearts  by  sin?  You  have  brought  the  devil 
in  with  great  pomp,  and  placed  the  demon  on  the  throne 
which  God  should  occupy.  Mary  and  Joseph  lost  Our  Lord 
Jesus  without  their  fault;  you  lost  Him  because  you  made 
up  your  minds  you  would  no  longer  keep  company  with 
Jesus.  And  when  you  had  put  away  this  beloved  Jesus  did 
you  feel  the  loss?  I  know  that  young  people  who  for 
the  first  time  have  lost  Jesus  by  sin  really  feel  that  they 
have  committed  a  -horrible  crime.  They  are  tormented  in 
mind,  and  i^roubled  within  themselves,  fearing,  indeed,  that 
the  house  may  tumble  over  their  heads  and  crush  them,  or 
that  the  earth  may  open  and  swallow  them.  They  can  find 
no  rest,  until  they  have  recourse  to-  confession  and  have 
driven  out  tho  devil  and""  reinstated  Our  Lord.  But  there  are 
many  youths,  on  the  contrary,  who  do  not  feel  the  sting  of 
conscience,  or  are  surprised  if  they  do;  who  never  consider 
their  horrible  condition,  and  remain  in  it  for  months  and 
years.    Jesus  is  always  near  them,  even  when  sent  away,  and 


40  The  Finding  in  the  Temple, 

looks  to  get  back  into  the  soul.  His  voice  is  not  silent.  He 
tells  the  poor  sinner  to  open  his  heart,  that  He  wants  to  enter 
there.  But  many  have  made  a  compact  with  the  devil;  they 
have  sworn  fealty  to  him  and  him  they  wish  to  serve  and  no 
other,  because  he  gives  them  so  many  opportunities  of 
gratifying  their  passions.  These  souls  think  they  may  let 
Jesus  stand  beside  them,  unnoticed,  until  the  end  of  their 
lives  and  that  then  they  will  be  converted.  But  they  will  not 
find  Him  then,  because  they  have  abused  the  grace  of  God. 
,Jf  any  of  you  have  lost  Our  Lord,  lose  no  time  in  finding 
Him  at  once.  And  you,  my  good  young  people,  who  have 
kept  Our  Lord  in  your  hearts,  0,  keep  Him  there  with  ten- 
derness and  love,  as  your  greatest  treasure;  beg  of  Him  most 
sincerely  to  keep  you  near  Him.  Cultivate  in  your  souls  the 
virtues  of  humility,  obedience,  purity,  patience,  mortifica- 
tion, and  charity,  that  Jesus,  charmed  by  these  precious  vir- 
tues, may  remain  with  you  always. 

Mary  and  Joseph  were  very  anxious  and  could  not  rest, 
but  immediately  returned  to  Jerusalem,  knowing  that  no- 
where but  there  and  in  the  Temple  would  He  be  found.  And 
there  He  was  sitting,  with  the  doctors  attentive  around  Him: 
the  Child  was  a  prodigy,  and  excited  their  admiration;  they 
listened  to  His  explanations  of  the  law,  they  asked  Him 
questions,  and  clearly  and  authoritatively  came  back  the  an- 
swers. It  was  an  admirable  instruction  that  Our  Lord  gave 
them. 

Mary  and  Joseph  found  Our  Lord  in  the  Temple.  My  dear 
young  people,  if  your  parents  were  to  look  for  you  during  the 
day  or  night,  would  they  find  you  in  church  or  in  good  com- 
pany, passing  the  time  in  pious  conversation?  Or  would 
they  find  you  with  bad  company,  engagedi  in  bad  conversa- 
tion, drinking,  cursing,  blaspheming,  perhaps? 

As  soon  'as  Mary  saw  Jesus  she  said  to  Him,  ''  Son,  why 
hast  Thou  done  so  to  us?  behold.  Thy  father  and  I  have 
sought  Thee  sorrowing."  Our  Lord  answered  her:  "How 
is  it  that  you  sought  Me?    Did  you  not  know  that  I  must  be 


First  Simday  after  Epiphomy.  41 

about  My  Fatlier^s  business? ''  This  answer  has  a  very  deep 
meaning.  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  Mary  and  had  come  into  the 
world  to  work  for  the  honor  of  God  His  Father,  and  to  do 
great  things  for  His  service. 

The  Child  Jesus  gives  us  a  great  example;  He  teaches  us 
a  great  lesson:  how  we  should  act  toward  our  parents.  We 
must  rather  obey  God  than  them,  when  there  is  question  of 
the  glory  and  honor  of  God.  You  must  not  be  afraid  to  go 
to  your  parents,  and  lay  before  them  the  will  of  God  as  you 
understand  it.  Sometimes  parents  are  very  worldly,  and 
enemies  of  God's  glory  in  regard  to  their  children;  they 
have  views  of  the  future  for  them  which  are  not  at  all  of 
God,  and  consequently  should  not  be  followed.  There  are 
parents  who  would  rather  see  their  children  miserably  un- 
happy for  life  than  to  see  them  become  Eeligious  dedicated 
to  the  service  of  God.  For  example,  if  any  of  you^  my  dear 
young  people,  feel  that  God  calls  you,  that  you  are  fitted  for 
the  religious  life,  that  you  have  patience  and  fortitude  to 
persevere,  then  follow  the  call  from  God.  Many  young  men 
who  have  served  the  altar  from  early  youth  have  felt  that 
they  had  a  vocation  to  consecrate  themselves  to  God;  but 
they  resisted,  remained  in  the  world,  fell  into  sin,  and  were 
lost  to  their  faith.  Some  young  women  who  have  the  voca- 
tion, instead  of  leaving  the  paternal  roof  and  going  into  a 
convent,  marry  and  live  unhappily  to  the  end  of  their  days. 
Had  these  young  people  consecrated  themselves  to  God  they 
would  have  done  much  for  the  glory  of  God,  they  would 
have  been  glorious  instruments  in  promoting  the  interests  of 
the  Church.  St.  Augustine  wrote  to  his  most  intimate 
friend,  Lucius,  begging  him  to  embrace  a  religious  life.  "  See 
what  magnificent  talents  are  going  to  waste  on  this  foolish 
world!  What  a  pity  that  such  a  bright  intellect  should 
amount  to  so  very  little.  The  devil  has  taken  hold  of  you, 
and  is  going  to  ruin  you.  Supposing  you  found  a  chalice  in 
the  street;  what  would  you  do  with  it?  you  would  bring  it 
to  the  church  because  it  belongs  there.    You  have  received 


42  The  Findvng  in  the  Temjple, 

golden  talents  from  God;   then  say  ^good-by^  to  the  devil, 
and  attach  yourself  to  God." 

St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  considered  it  one  of  the  greatest 
faults  of  his  life,  that,  having  felt  for  certain  the  call  of  God 
in  his  heart  to  leave  the  world,  he  waited  for  six  months,  at 
the  risk  of  abusing  the  Lord's  friendship  and  the  inestimable 
grace  of  the  divine  vocation. 

Beg  of  God  with  heartfelt  sincerity  to  let  you  know  His 
holy  will;  pray  to  Mary,  your  angel  guardian,  and  the  saints 
of  paradise,  that  they  may  intercede  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
for  you,  so  that  you  may  know  your  duty.  Take  counsel  with 
your  confessor,  do  not  act  foolishly,  but  when  you  are  once 
certain  of  what  you  should  do,  cut  off  all  ties,  howsoever 
tender  they  be,  and  whatever  else  might  place  obstacles  in 
the  way.  Turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  devil,  the  world,  and  the 
flesh;  be  prompt  as  was  the  boy  Samuel,  who  when  God 
called  him,  jumped  from  bed  several  times,  saying,  "  Here  I 
am,  Lord;  you  have  called  me." 

Jesus  returned  with  Mary  and  Joseph  to  Nazareth,  to  the 
humble  station  that  He  held.  The  Gospel  tells  us  in  very- 
short  words  what  was  His  principal  occupation  during  these 
years  of  His  boyhood  and  youth;  He  obeyed  His  parents. 
You  may  see  Him  in  the  poor  carpenter  shop  of  Nazareth, 
with  His  saw  and  ax,  working  zealously,  gaining  His  liveli- 
hood by  the  work  of  His  hands  until  He  reached  His  thirtieth 
year.  He  was  Go3,  that  God  who  governs  the  heavens  and 
the  earth.  0  children,  headstrong,  wilful,  and  independent, 
learn  from  Jesus  obedience  to  your  parents.  Do  not  cause 
them  to  weep  over  your  bad  lives,  bringing  their  gray  hairs 
in  sorrow  to  the  grave.  Honor  your  parents,  love  them  with 
a  tender  and  true  love,  be  their  delight,  and  you  will  have 
such  a  reward  from  God  as  will  astonish  you. 

Jesus  grew  in  wisdom,  in  age,  and  grace  before  God  and 
before  man:  He  was  wisdom  itself,  and  how  could  He  grow 
in  wisdom?  He  was  sanctity  itself,  and  how  could  He  be  more 
holy?    Still,  adapting  Himself  to  our  humanity,  with  every 


First  Sunday  after  Epiphany,  43 

day  He  manifested  those  qualities  more  and  more,  as  suited 
His  age.  And  people  knew  this  Child  and  loved  Him.  What 
a  grace  it  was  for  relatives  and  neighbors  to  be  acquainted 
with  the  carpenter's  Son! 

But  let  us  make  our  reflections.  Do  our  youths  grow  in 
piety,  devotion,  wisdom,  and  love  of  God  as  they  advance  in 
years?  While  children  they  are  good  and  lovable,  but  as 
they  reach  the  years  of  manhood  or  womanhood  what  be- 
comes of  their  innocence,  their  obedience,  their  loveliness? 
They  have  made  themselves  the  slaves  of  the  devil;  the  devil 
does  not  practice  such  virtues  and  neither  do  they.  What 
has  become  of  your  devotion?  You  used  to  say  your  beads, 
and  pray  morning  and  night,  and  had  devotion  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  Do  you  still  pray  to  her,  or  do  you  not  consider 
this,  as  well  as  all  other  devotions,  foolish  practices?  You 
had  a  very  tender  conscience  as  a  child;  the  least  sin  would 
give  you  concern,  you  had  much  to  confess;  now  it  seems 
that  sin  does  not  disturb  you,  you  are  as  gay  after  a  great  sin 
as  if  nothing  had  happened;  you  do  not  feel  the  qualms  of 
conscience,  you  never  go  to  confession  any  more.  Why  do 
you  not  act  as  formerly?  The  fact  is,  you  have  already  par- 
tially lost  your  faith,  and  be  assured  it  will  not  be  long  before 
you  will  have  lost  it  altogether.  Such  then  is  the  wickedness 
of  your  life.  In  a  few  years  you  will  be  hardened  in  sin,  you 
will  be  worse  than  the  Turks  or  the  pagans.  How  many  such 
youths  are  there?  AVho  would  believe  it  unless  they  had  seen 
it  with  their  own  eyes?  What  a  feeling  of  disappointment  it 
is  to  all  religious  educators,  when  they  see  all  their  efforts 
wasted. 

0  you  young  people,  who  are  still  good,  pray  for  them 
that  Our  Lord  may  convert  them  and  bring  them  back  to 
a  sense  of  their  duty.  Eecommend  to  Our  Lord  those  who 
were  your  companions  in  doing  good,  but  now,  by  their 
bad  example,  would  make  you,  too,  unfaithful  to  God.  St. 
Celarinus  had  a  sister  who  had  3rielded  to  the  fury  of  the 
persecution,  and  offered  sacrifice  to  the  idolb.     When  he 


44  The  Marriage  Feast  of  Camja, 

heard  of  this  miserable  fear,  he  clothed  himself  in  sackcloth 
and  fasted  severely;  even  on  Easter  days  he  did  not  cease 
pra3ring  to  God  that  the  grace  of  conversion  might  be 
granted  her,  and  he  resolved  to  do  this  penance  until  he  saw 
her  again  reconciled  to  the  Church.  St.  Dominic  prayed 
whole  nights  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  did  penances 
for  them.  St.  Francis  Xavier  was  so  zealous  for  the  conver- 
sion of  sinners  that  he  went  about  the  city  of  Molacca  ring- 
ing a  bell  and  crying  out  in  a  loud  voice,  that  all  should  pray 
for  those  in  mortal  sin.  Do  you  also  pray  for  those  compan- 
ions of  your  own  age  who  once  were  brothers  and  sisters  of 
Our  Lord,  but  now  are  slaves  of  Satan?  who  at  one  time  went 
with  you  to  the  banquet  of  the  immaculate  Lamb,  but  now 
live  in  union  with  the  devil?  As  for  yourselves,  stand  firm 
in  your  faith,  be  vigilant  that  you  may  not  fall  into  the  sins 
of  the  wicked,  grow  in  grace,  in  purity,  in  virtue,  in  wisdom, 
in  the  love  of  God,  and  you  shall  be  dear  to  Our  Lord,  dear 
to  all  mankind,  and  it  will  be  said  of  you  as  it  was  said  of 
Jesus:  "  He  grew  in  wisdom,  in  age,  and  in  grace  before  God 
and  men." 


SECOND    SUNDAY   AFTEE    EPIPHANY. 

Gospel.  John  ii.  1-11.  At  that  time  there  was  a  marriage  in 
Cana  of  Galilee,  and  the  mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  And  Jesus 
also  was  invited,  and  his  disciples,  to  the  marriage.  And  the  wine 
failing,  the  mother  of  Jesus  saith  to  him:  They  have  no  wine. 
And  Jesus  saith  to  her:  Woman,  what  is  to  me  and  to  thee?  my 
hour  is  not  yet  come.  His  mother  saith  to  the  waiters:  Whatsoever 
he  shall  say  to  you,  do  ye.  Now  there  were  set  there  six  water-pots 
of  stone,  according  to  the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews,  con- 
taining two  or  three  measures  apiece.  Jesus  saith  to  them:  Fill  the 
water-pots  with  water.  And  they  filled  them  up  to  the  brim.  And 
Jesus  saith  to  them:  Draw  out  now  and  carry  to  the  chief  steward 
of  the  feast.  And  they  carried  it.  And  when  the  chief  steward  had 
tasted  the  water  made  wine,  and  knew  not  whence  it  was,  but  the 
waiters  knew  who  had  drawn  the  water:  the  chief  steward  calleth 
the  bridegroom,  and  saith  to  him:    Every  man  at  first  setteth  forth 


Second  Sunday  after  Epiphany,  45 

good  wine,  and  when  men  have  well  drunk,  then  that  which  is 
worse:  but  thou  hast  kept  the  good  wine  until  now.  This  beginning 
of  miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  he  manifested  his  glory, 
and  his  disciples  believed  in  him. 


THE   MARRIAGE   FEAST   OF   CANA. 

We  are  all  astonished  at  the  fact  that  Our  Lord  was  pres- 
ent at  the  marriage  feast  of  Cana.  It  is  truly  wonderful  that 
Our  Lord,  who  practiced  mortification  in  so  heroic  a  degree; 
who  gave  us  such  an  example  of  penitential  life,  should  at 
the  very  outset  of  His  public  career  visit  a  marriage  feast. 
It  was  that  same  Jesus  who  had  just  completed  His  fast  of 
forty  days  and  nights  and  who  afterwards  said,  "  Take  up 
your  cross  and  follow  Me,"  who  went  as  an  invited  guest  to 
this  banquet  at  which  it  is  usual  to  find  such  joyfulness, 
where  language  is  sometimes  unrestrained,  where  modesty  is 
often  not  observed,  where  sobriety  and  temperance  in  eating 
and  drinking  are  not  to  be  found. 

My  dear  children,  change  your  surprise  into  wonder;  for 
Our  Lord  wished  to  be  there  so  as  to  approve  an  honest  mar- 
riage tie,  and  to  show  that  it  is  a  great  sacrament;  and  at 
the  same  time  to  show  that  only  that  marriage  is  holy  and 
pleasing  to  Grod  where  at  least  in  the  hearts  of  the  assembled 
guests  Jesus  and  Mary  are  found,  and  that  such  a  marriage 
is  under  His  special  protection  and  will  receive  His  divine 
blessing. 

It  is  certain  that  at  this  feast  there  were  those  who  were 
good  and  simple,  and  that  there  certainly  would  be  no  dis- 
order. Had  it  been  one  of  those  meetings  which  the  worldly 
and  rich  of  this  world  attend.  Our  Lord  and  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin would  not  have  been  there. 

Should  any  of  you  ever  be  invited  to  such  a  feast,  think, 
before  you  accept  the  invitation,  if  those  who  ask  you  are 
good  people  who  observe  the  law  of  God;  will  there  be  peo- 
ple there  who  are  good  and  temperate?  If  you  cannot  de- 
cline the  invitation  be  on  your  guard;    keep  a  watch  over 


46  The  Marriage  Feast  of  Carta, 

your  eyes  and  over  your  thoughts,  and  above  all  be  temperate, 
especially  in  drink. 

The  guests  were  reclining  at  the  repast;  and  as  it  was 
going  on  it  was  noticed  that  the  wine  was  giving  out.  Mary 
soon  observed  it,  and  in  order  that  the  newly  married  couple 
should  be  spared  the  shame  of  making  known  their  poverty, 
she  turned  to  Our  Lord  and  said  to  Him,  "  They  have  no 
wine." 

Mary  is  really  the  Mother  of  providence.  If  she  was  so 
solicitous  about  the  wine,  how  much  more  anxious  will  she 
be  in  our  spiritual  needs?  0  Mary,  you  have  a  tender  heart! 
You  will  surely  feel  for  us,  afflicted  with  such  evils;  you  will 
help  and  console  us,  defend  us  against  the  infernal  enemy, 
and  you  will  throw  your  mantle  over  us. 

But  if  we  expect  to  find  all  these  qualities  in  Mary,  we 
must  honor  and  love  her,  and  be  her  tender  and  devout  chil- 
dren. Mary  once  said  to  a  youth  that  was  praying:  "  I  feel 
little  concern  in  your  prayers,  for  you  keep  impurity  in  your 
heart." 

Never  offend  the  purest  of  virgins  by  committing  an  act 
of  impurity.  Be  proper  and  decent;  grow  every  day  in  de- 
votion to  her.  Are  you  growing  cold  in  her  service?  Think 
of  her  more  frequently,  and  when  you  go  to  church  pray  to 
her;  she  is  there  near  the  tabernacle,  for  where  Jesus  is, 
there  also  is  His  Mother.  If  you  have  no  devotion,  and  are 
careless  about  her,  it  seems  as  if  you  said,  '^Forget  me,  0 
Mother!  I  am  going  to  follow  the  world;  I  will  not  be  both- 
ered with  the  thought  of  you  in  the  future."  And  when  no 
more  graces  come  to  you;  when  blindness  in  your  faith  and 
carelessness  in  practicing  it  has  taken  hold  of  you,  you  need 
not  be  surprised,  for  you  are  going  away  from  God. 

Thomas  a  Kempls,  when  a  child,  had  the  habit  of  saying 
every  day  a  prayer  in  honor  of  Mary;  but  by  carelessness  he 
at  first  forgot  it  and  after  a  while  never  thought  of  it  more. 
Mary,  who  on  her  part  loved  young  Thomas,  appeared  to 
him  one  night  as  he  dreamed  that  he  was  with  some  compan- 


Second  Bundcmj  after  Ejd^Jiany,  47 

ions.  The  Blessed  Virgin  was  very  kind,  affable  even,  to  the 
young  men,  but  when  she  approached  Thomas,  who  thought 
he  too  would  receive  signs  of  love  from  her,  she  said,  "  Whatl 
Do  you  expect  a  sign  of  love  and  regard  from  me?  Have  you 
not  forgotten  me?  Go  away!  My  kindnesses  are  not  for 
such  as  you."  The  vision  or  dream  was  over,  but  it  made 
such  a  great  impression  on  the  youth's  mind  that  he  began 
his  devotions  again  and  was  careful  not  to  omit  them  in  the 
future. 

Mary,  having  told  Jesus  that  the  wine  was  out.  He  an- 
swered: *^  Woman,  what  is  to  Me  and  to  thee?  My  hour 
is  not  yet  come."  If  this  answer  had  been  given  to  any  one 
of  us,  we  surely  would  have  despaired  of  having  our  petition 
granted.  But  Mary  did  not  think  so.  She  was,  in  fact,  sure 
He  was  going  to  work  a  miracle,  for  she  went  to  the  servants 
and  told  them  to  do  everything  He  commanded. 

Did  Our  Lord  wish  to  seem  harsh  to  His  Mother,  and  not 
listen  to  her  prayer?  He  was  not  harsh  nor  disrespectful. 
Immediately,  though  His  hour  had  not  yet  come.  He  heard 
her  prayer.  The  Lord  does  the  same  to  us.  Often  He  seems 
not  to  hear  our  prayers,  in  fact  He  acts  as  if  He  did  not 
want  to  hear  them.  But  He  does  hear  them  nevertheless, 
and  gives  us  a  great  deal  more  than  we  have  asked  for.  God 
does  His  work  of  kindness  to  man  as  He  wants  us  to  do  our 
works  of  charity,  quietly  and  in  secret;  so  that  the  left  hand 
may  not  know  what  the  right  hand  does. 

And  still  it  may  really  be  a  fact  that  He  does  not  hear  our 
prayer,  for  the  simple  reason  that  we  do  not  pray  in  the 
right  manner.  We  must  pray  with  attention;  our  whole  soul 
must  be  on  the  subject  of  our  prayer;  we  must  pray  with 
unlimited  confidence  in  God's  power,  kindness,  and  willing- 
ness; at  the  same  time  always  add  a  littb  prayer  that  God  may 
keep  you  from  sin,  which  is  the  greatest  gift  He  can  give 
you.  Add  this  to  your  other  petitions  and  your  prayer  will 
appear  less  selfish;  God  will  grant  you  much  for  this  con- 
sideration. 


48  The  Marriage  Feast  of  Cana, 

Read  this  example  of  long-continued  prayer.  For  seven- 
teen years  St.  Monica  prayed  for  the  conversion  of  Augus- 
tine, her  son.  The  more  she  prayed  the  deeper  he  seemed 
to  fall  into  heresy  and  sin.  Monica  followed  him  everywhere 
with  motherly  love,  and  continued  her  prayers.  At  last  she 
was  heard — but  how?  She  obtained  a  great  deal  more  than 
she  asked  for.  He  went  to  the  church  and  was  baptized 
by  St.  Ambrose.  Nor  was  this  all.  He  was  shortly  after- 
wards made  a  priest,  and  then  a  bishop.  Monica  asked  only 
for  his  conversion,  but  this  was  too  little  for  God,  who 
had  heard  her  prayer.  He  prepared  the  way  for  greater  gifts 
and  graces.  He  became  the  scourge  of  heretics,  a  column  of 
the  Church,  a  doctor  teaching  all  nations,  and  a  great  saint. 
The  prayer  of  St.  Monica  was  well  made.  From  this  you  can 
form  a  very  good  idea  how  prayers  should  be  said. 

At  the  wedding  of  Cana  there  were  in  the  house  six  large 
stone  water-pots.  Our  Lord  then  said  to  the  servants:  ^'Fill 
the  water-pots  with  water,''  and  they  filled  them  to  the  brim. 
"  Take  some  to  the  master  of  the  servers  and  let  him  taste.'' 
The  water  had  been  made  wdne  at  that  instant.  They  were 
astonished;  it  was  a  remarkable  miracle.  The  wine  was 
even  better  than  that  which  they  had  had.  Our  Lord  worked 
this  miracle  at  the  prayer  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  for  the  con- 
solation of  a  poor  family.  For  the  happiness  of  good  people 
He  worked  His  first  miracle  and  manifested  His  divine 
power. 

It  was  the  custom  in  those  days  to  give  the  best  wine  first, 
and  when  men  had  well  drunk  then  that  which  was  poorer. 

The  world  gives  us  pleasures,  honors,  and  riches  in  our 
youth.  But  at  the  end  of  life,  when  we  see  that  we  have  lost 
so  much  time,  that  great  treasure  which  is  only  appreciated 
at  death,  the  bad  wine  of  sorrow  and  regret  is  served.  That 
will  be  the  bitter  wine — perhaps  of  repentance,  perhaps  of 
despair.  But  for  the  good  Our  Lord  reserves  at  the  end  the 
wine  of  happiness,  the  memory  of  our  sweet  communions, 
of  devotions  to  Mary,  and  of  what  we  have  suffered  for  Jesus. 


Third  Sunday  after  Ejpijpham>y.  49 

In  peace  we  will  close  our  eyes  to  the  light  of  this  world  to 
open  them  to  the  brightness  of  paradise. 

Be  not  fond  of  the  wine  of  the  world,  which  intoxicates 
and  renders  us  foolish,  but  follow  Our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
who  will  give  us  the  spiritual  wine  of  divine  consolation. 
When  the  world  shall  have  left  us,  Jesus  alone  will  remain 
with  us,  and  that  will  be  all  that  we  can  desire. 


THIKD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

Gospel.  Matt.  viii.  1-13.  Ai  that  time  when  Jesus  was  come  down 
from  the  mountain,  great  multitudes  followed  him:  and  behold  a 
leper  came  and  adored  him,  saying:  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst 
make  me  clean.  And  Jesus,  stretching  forth  his  hand,  touched  him, 
saying:  I  will,  be  thou  made  clean.  And  forthwith  his  leprosy  was 
cleansed.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him:  See  thou  tell  no  man:  but  go 
show  thyself  to  the  priest,  and  offer  the  gift  which  Moses  commanded 
for  a  testimony  unto  them.  And  when  he  had  entered  into  Caphar- 
naum,  there  came  to  him  a  centurion,  beseeching  him,  and  saying: 
Lord,  my  servant  lieth  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy,  and  is  grievously 
tormented.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him:  I  will  come  and  heal  him.  And 
the  centurion,  making  answer,  said:  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that 
thou  shouldst  enter  under  my  roof;  but  only  say  the  word,  and  my 
servant  shall  be  healed.  For  I  also  am  a  man  subject  to  authority, 
having  under  me  soldiers;  and  I  say  to  this:  Go,  and  he  goeth;  and 
to  another:  Come,  and  he  cometh;  and  to  my  servant:  Do  this, 
and  he  doth  it.  And  Jesus  hearing  this,  marvelled ;  and  said  to  them 
that  followed  him:  Amen  I  say  to  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great 
faith  in  Israel.  And  I  say  to  you  that  many  shall  come  from  the 
east  and  the  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  the  children  of  the  kingdom 
shall  be  cast  out  into  the  exterior  darkness:  there  shall  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  And  Jesus  said  to  the  centurion:  Go,  and 
as  thou  hast  believed,  so  be  it  done  to  thee.  And  the  servant  was 
healed  at  the  same  hour. 

THE  LEPER — THE  FAITH  OF  THE  CENTURION". 

Okoe  when  Our  Lord  was  coming  down  from  a  mountain, 
followed  by  a  great  crowd  of  people.  He  entered  the  city  of 


50  The  Lejper — TTie  Faith  of  the  Centurion, 

Capharnaum.  At  the  city  gates  there  was  a  poor  leper,  who, 
bowing  down  profoundly,  addressed  Jesus  and  cried  out: 
"  Lord!  if  Thou  wilt.  Thou  canst  make  me  clean." 

Leprosy  is  a  very  filthy,  disgusting  disease.  The  whole 
body  is  covered  with  a  false  dry  skin  like  scales,  so  that  the 
person  becomes  a  most  hideous  and  loathsome  object.  In 
the  East  and  in  this  country,  too,  leprosy  is  considered  con- 
tagious, and  the  laws  of  sanitary  boards  separate  people 
afflicted  with  it  from  those  that  are  well,  and  will  not  allow 
lepers  to  come  into  the  cities.  This  picture  is  but  a  very  in- 
significant description  of  leprosy.  You  must  see  it  to  know 
how  loathsome  it  really  is. 

When  you  read  the  description  of  leprosy  think  of  that 
other  kind  of  leprosy  of  the  soul,  for  sin  is  the  leprosy  of 
the  soul,  and  is  as  filthy  and  more  so  than  the  leprosy  of  the 
body.  Yes,  it  is  the  leprosy  of  sin  that  makes  the  soul  a 
horrible  sight  before  God  and  the  angels.  The  leprous  souls 
that  live  in  so  many  human  bodies  in  cities  and  villages  are 
not  subject  to  any  laws.  They  can  remain  where  they  please, 
and  still  we  know  that  nothing  is  more  contagious  than  the 
leprosy  of  sin.  Thus  it  is  that  sin  is  continually  growing  and 
spreading,  until  we  find  it  in  every  nook  and  comer  of  the 
world.  How  rare  it  is  to  find  youths  not  infected  with  some 
vice  or  other!  How  few  are  untouched  by  this  contagion,  or 
who  have  preserved  their  baptismal  innocence! 

If  you  are  already  covered  with  the  leprosy  of  sin,  ah,  then 
cry  out:  "Lord,  you  see  how  miserable  my  condition  is! 
Heal  me — cleanse  me.  You  see  that  my  mouth  is  infected  be- 
cause such  bad  words,  blasphemies,  and  curses  are  continually 
flowing  from  it.  You  see,  0  Lord,  that  my  body  and  my 
senses  are  infected  with  this  terrible  disease,  for  it  induces 
the  soul  to  commit  the  sins  of  impurity."  If  you  pray  in  this 
manner,  humbly  and  confidently,  you  will  hear  in  your  soul 
the  consoling  words,  "  Yes,  I  will  help  you  to  overcome  that 
vice.  I  will  forgive  you  and  give  you  the  grace  of  remaining 
good.'' 


Third  ^wndoAj  after  Ejpijphany,  51 

But  Oiur  Lord  adds:  "Gro  and  show  yourselves  to  the 
priest/'  The  priest  is  the  minister  of  God.  He  will  extend 
his  hands  over  you,  and  you  will  be  made  whiter  than  snow. 
You  will  start  up  into  a  new  life,  in  which  you  will  acquire 
again  the  merits  of  your  good  actions,  which  would  never 
have  been  any  benefit  to  you  unless  you  had  thus  repented. 
From  slaves  of  Satan  you  will  become  adopted  sons  of  God, 
co-heirs  with  Jesus  Christ. 

But  remember  well,  my  beloved  children,  that  you  must 
have  a  good  will.  St.  Augustine  says  that  God  cures  all  evils, 
but  only  those  which  we  really  want  to  be  cured. 

The  unhappy  leper  really  wished  to  be  healed,  for  he 
realized  the  sad  condition  he  was  in,  and  Jesus  immediately 
extended  His  hand  and  touched  him.  We  admire  the  power 
of  Christ,  for  at  once  the  whole  body  was  healed.  It  was 
again  full  of  vigor  and  health.  Jesus  did  not  give  him  time 
to  burst  out  in  sentiments  of  wonder,  exultation  or  gratitude, 
but  said:  *^  See  thou  tell  no  man,  but  go,  show  thyself  to  the 
priest."  The  man  obeyed,  and  as  he  went  he  could  not  help 
letting  people  know  what  Jesus  had  done  for  him.  The  fame 
of  this  miracle  spread  about  the  country  and  drew  many  to 
look  for  help  from  Our  Lord. 

There  was  in  Caphamaum  a  centurion,  a  soldier  and  a 
heathen,  whose  servant  lay  at  the  point  of  death.  He  came 
to  Our  Lord  and  laid  his  trouble  before  Him:  "My  servant 
lieth  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy,  and  is  grievously  tormented.'' 
"  I  will  come  and  heal  him,"  said  Our  Lord.  But  the  cen- 
turion did  not  expect  so  great  a  favor;  he  repeated  those  ad- 
mirable words:  "  Lord  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst 
enter  under  my  roof,  but  only  say  the  word  and  my  servant 
shall  be  healed." 

These  words  are  so  applicable  to  all  poor  sinners  who  are 
about  to  receive  the  visit  of  the  Lord,  that  the  Church  has 
borrowed  them  and  uses  them  three  times  when  communion 
is  to  be  given.  We  should  repeat  them  with  a  heart  full  of 
confusion,  because  even  though  we  possessed  the  purity  of 


52  The  Lejper — The  Faith  of  the  Centurion, 

an  angel  and  the  sanctity  of  John  the  Baptist,  we  would  not 
be  worthy  to  receive  in  our  heart  Our  Lord  Jesus.  There- 
fore ought  we  do  all  in  our  power  to  be  free  from  sin,  that  we 
might  be  the  less  unworthy  to  receive  Jesus  in  the  great  Sac- 
rament of  His  love. 

There  are  few  young  people  who  are  so  impressed  with  the 
sublimity  of  this  holy  Sacrament  that  they  approach  it  with 
sentiments  of  respect  and  veneration.  On  the  contrary  they 
generally  go  without  proper  dispositions.  They  do  not  en- 
deavor to  excite  in  themselves  the  sentiments  of  devotion 
and  love  of  God  which  are  required  to  make  a  good  commun- 
ion. 

But  there  are  many,  too,  who  are  unworthy  to  receive 
Jesus  in  their  heart  because  their  souls  are  blackened  with 
crime.  They  defile  their  tongues  with  impure  conversations, 
and  they  dare  to  receive  on  them  the  body  of  Christ.  They 
defile  their  bodies  with  impurities  and  into  these  they  dare 
to  introduce  the  Holy  of  holies.  They  give  scandal  and  they 
wish  to  receive  Jesus. 

They  go  to  confession  and  if  the  priest  refuse  them  abso- 
lution because  he  sees  no  signs  of  amendment,  they  go  to 
another,  who  is  easier,  so  that  they  may  get  through.  How 
blind  such  young  people  are!  They  do  not  comprehend  that 
they  are  making  a  bad  communion. 

Go,  of  course,  frequently  to  communion,  but  do  so  with  a 
pure  heart,  and  free  from  sin,  full  of  humility,  reverence,  and 
love.  When  the  time  approaches  for  communion,  call  on  the 
angels,  the  archangels  and  all  the  holy  spirits,  and  beg  of 
them  to  accompany  you  to  the  banquet  of  Our  Lord. 

When  Our  Lord  heard  the  humble  words  of  the  centurion 
He  was  struck  with  astonishment  and  said,  "Amen,  I  say 
to  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great  a  faith  in  Israel."  It  was 
certainly  a  great  act  of  faith,  and  that  was  the  reason  it  drew 
on  the  centurion  that  commendation  which  the  Lord  seldom 
gave.  The  centurion  trusted  in  the  power  and  goodness  of 
Our  Lord.    He  knew,  too,  that  it  was  not  necessary  for  Our 


Third  Sunday  after  EjpijpJiany,  63 

Lord  to  come  to  his  house.  He  knew  He  was  God,  or  at  least 
had  the  power  of  God  at  His  command.  For  this  faith  and 
trust  Our  Lord  broke  forth  into  unusual  praise. 

Even  among  faithful  Christians  it  is  rare  to  find  those  who 
really  trust  in  God.  They  put  trust  in  their  friends,  in  their 
own  smartness  and  strength,  but  they  do  not  remember  that 
they  have  a  God  at  their  command  to  whom  they  may  go  with 
all  confidence.  We  trust  too  much  to  our  friends  in  many 
things  and  even  prefer  them  to  God.  Here  is  a  young  man 
who,  meeting  his  companions,  goes  with  them  to  lunch.  It  is 
Friday.  The  young  man  refuses  to  eat  meat,  but  his  com- 
panions persuade  him.  "  Oh,  eat  it!  What  wrong  can  there 
be?  "    He  yields,  and  the  sin  is  committed. 

Another  meets  a  companion  on  the  street.  "Where  are 
you  going?  '^  "  To  hear  a  sermon,"  is  the  reply.  "  Oh,  don't 
be  so  foolish  as  to  sit  there  to  listen  to  such  an  insignificant 
preacher.  That  is  good  enough  for  doting  old  people  or  pious 
women.  Come,  let  us  go  to  the  theatre.  You  will  see  nice 
things;  you  will  laugh  and  be  happier  there  than  in  church." 
He  goes  out  of  friendship  for  his  companion.  He  witnesses 
the  derision  of  his  religion,  or  immoral  scenes;  he  sees  many 
things  that  please  the  eye  and  stir  his  sensuality.  He  hears 
many  improper  things;  his  mind  is  filled  with  loose  sayings 
and  bad  thoughts,  and  all  this  has  happened  simply  to  please 
a  friend.  You  see  then  how  obsequious  you  are  to  your 
friends,  but  of  God  and  Christ  you  make  no  account. 

When  Our  Lord  had  said  the  words  of  commendation  to 
the  centurion  He  added:  "Many  shall  come  from  the  east 
and  the  west  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham  and  Isaac 
and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  the  children  of  the 
kingdom  shall  be  cast  out  into  the  exterior  darkness."  God 
is  merciful  to  all;  He  calls  all;  but  they  must  have  the  faith 
of  the  centurion.  Then  He  turned  again  to  the  centurion 
and  said,  "  Go,  and  as  thou  hast  believed  so  be  it  done  to 
thee."  That  same  moment  the  servant  was  healed,  and  when 
the  centurion  arrived  home  he  found  the  man  perfectly  re- 


64:  The  Lejper — The  Faith  of  the  Centurion. 

stored  to  health.  Just  reflect  a  moment  on  these  words  of 
Our  Lord.  "  The  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out 
into  the  exterior  darkness;  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth.''  Terrible  words;  but  which  will  prove  as  true  to 
many  Christians  as  they  were  to  many  of  the  Jews.  Not  a 
day  passes  but  many  infidels  and  idolaters  come  to  the  faith, 
are  converted,  and  enter  the  kingdom  of  God,  while  many 
Christians  bom  in  the  faith,  brought  up  and  educated  in  it, 
perish  miserably  in  eternal  damnation.  A  damned  soul  once 
returned  to  the  earth  and  asked  whether  there  were  any  good 
people  still  on  earth,  for  he  had  seen  such  innumerable  mul- 
titudes going  to  hell  that  he  thought  there  could  not  be  one 
left.  St.  Bernard  understood  so  well  the  misery  of  those 
who  went  to  hell  that  he  used  to  say, ''  If  out  of  all  the  human 
race,  who  number  thousands  of  millions  of  souls,  it  were 
known  that  only  one  was  to  go  to  hell,  I  would  tremble  with 
fear  lest  I  should  be  that  miserable  one."  0,  my  dear  young 
people,  let  us  make  up  our  minds  that  we  will  not  be  of  the 
number  of  the  wicked  Christians  who  will  lose  their  places 
in  heaven  which  were  marked  out  for  them  from  all  eternity 
had  they  remained  faithful.  Are  we,  the  sons  of  the  king- 
dom, we,  the  adopted  sons  of  God,  to  be  excluded  from  our 
future  heritage  in  heaven  and  thrown  out  into  darkness? 
Oh,  since  the  Lord  has  been  so  good  to  us  that  we  have  re- 
ceived the  grace  of  being  born  in  a  Christian  family,  let  us 
beg  also  the  grace  to  remain  faithful  to  Christ  and  love  Him 
so  dearly  that  we  may  enter  the  heavenly  kingdom  which  is 
ours  by  right.  At  the  same  time  knowing  that  many  places 
are  left  vacant  in  heaven  by  bad  Christians,  let  us  beg  Our 
Lord  to  send  His  light  to  the  east  and  west  and  bring  many 
to  occupy  these  seats  of  glory. 


Fourth  Sunday  after  Ejpi^ham^y.  55 


FOUETH   SUNDAY  AFTER  EPIPHANY. 

Gospel.  Matt.  viii.  23-27.  At  that  time  when  Jesus  entered  into 
the  boat,  his  disciples  followed  him;  and  behold  a  great  tempest 
arose  in  the  sea,  so  that  the  boat  was  covered  with  waves;  but  he 
wa«  asleep.  And  his  disciples  came  to  him,  and  awaked  him,  say- 
ing: Lord,  save  us,  we  perish.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them.  Why  are 
you  fearful,  O  ye  of  little  faith?  Then  rising  up  he  commanded  the 
winds,  and  the  sea;  and  there  came  a  great  calm.  But  the  men 
wondered,  saying,  What  manner  of  man  is  this,  for  the  winds  and 
the  sea  obey  him? 

JESUS   IN"  A   STOBM   ON  THE  LAKE. 

It  was  in  the  evening  after  a  day  of  very  hard  work,  dur- 
ing which  Our  Lord  had  performed  miracles,  and  preached 
the  new  Gospel  to  the  multitudes  which  continually  followed 
Him,  that  He  took  His  disciples  with  Him  in  a  small  ship 
over  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  Had  any  one,  impressed 
with  faith  in  Our  Lord's  divinity,  seen  this  company  get- 
ting into  that  boat,  they  would  certainly  say  that  it  would 
have  a  prosperous  journey,  the  wind  would  blow  most  favor- 
ably, the  waves  would  be  quiet,  the  waters  would  feel  the 
happiness  of  the  nearness  of  their  Creator.  We  would  think 
ourselves  happy  to  be  \vith  Jesus  on  that  ship.  But  Our 
Lord  intended  a  different  voyage:  scarcely  had  the  boat  left 
the  shore,  than  the  wind  began  to  increase  and  a  great  squall 
arose.  The  boat  was  very  small,  and  every  moment  the  angry 
waters  threatened  to  engulf  it.  We  read  of  many  saints  who 
have  been  able  to  govern  the  waters,  and  make  them  help 
them  in  their  designs  for  the  glory  of  God.  St.  Francis 
spread  his  mantle  over  the  waves,  and  he  and  his  com- 
panions got  on  it,  and  in  this  way  travelled  from  Africa  to 
Eome,  wafted  by  gentle  breezes  and  carried  by  quiet  waters 
and  tides.  But  when  Jesus  was  on  the  water,  could  He  do 
nothing?  Was  it  true  that  His  disciples  were  to  do  greater 
things  than  He  ever  did?    Perhaps  it  was  Judas  that  brought 


56  Jesus  i/n  a  Storm  on  the  Lake. 

this  severe  etorm  on  the  frail  vessel.  Some  Fathers  of  the 
Church  say  that  this  tempest  was  a  figure  of  the  battles  which 
the  Church  has  to  undergo  in  this  world.  From  its  very  es- 
tablishment, the  Church  had  to  suffer  many  persecutions; 
powerful  kings  and  tyrants  rose  against  it,  they  sought  to 
destroy  it  by  every  means  that  human  ingenuity  or  cruelty 
could  invent.  They  would  have  succeeded  had  not  God  kept 
the  promise  which  He  made,  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  His  Church.  In  fact,  the  contrary  happened; 
while  the  enemies  of  the  Church  thought  they  had  destroyed 
it,  they  spread  it  all  over  the  world.  The  greater  the  per- 
secution the  greater  became  the  number  of  the  faithful. 

Even  at  this  very  day  there  are  men  who  make  war  on 
the  bark  of  Peter,  in  order  to  sink  it  and  to  remove  from 
the  world  our  holy  religion.  But  it  will  be  found  that  their 
efforts  are  useless.  We  can  confidently  repeat,  "  The  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail  against  the  Church."  Many  others,  too, 
there  are,  "w^ho  though  they  do  not  persecute  the  Church,  still 
lead  such  wicked  lives  that  they  render  her  no  honor.  But 
you,  my  dear  young  people,  will  be  good  and  obedient  chil- 
dren of  the  Church,  that  in  all  her  persecutions  she  may 
be  consoled  by  witnessing  the  sanctity  of  your  lives.  We 
are  sailing  over  a  tempestuous  sea,  where  there  are  many 
storms  to  be  encountered.  Happy  those  who  do  not  suffer 
shipwreck.  To  avoid  this  terrible  shipwreck  and  to  arrive 
safely  in  the  port  of  heaven  we  must  labor  diligently,  we 
must  be  vigilant  and  on  our  guard.  When  a  ship  goes  out 
from  port,  laden  with  rich  merchandise,  with  precious  treas- 
ures, how  careful  the  captain  is,  how  obedient  and  prompt 
are  the  sailors  in  guiding  the  vessel,  so  that  it  may  not  run 
on  a  sand-bar  or  be  dashed  to  pieces  on  a  rock.  Should  a 
storm  come  up,  how  vigilant  are  all  the  officers;  what  labors 
do  they  not  undergo,  they  do  not  spare  themselves  in  any 
manner  until  the  danger  is  over.  With  the  same  vigilance 
you  must  guide  the  little  ship,  your  soul;  watch  day  and 
nigiht,  watch  when  you  think  there  is  a  calm,  and  you  are 


Fourth  Sunday  after  Ejpi^houny,  57 

in  security,  when  the  devil  does  not  tempt  you;  for  when 
you  least  expect  it,  he  will  raise  a  most  furious  storm  of 
temptations  in  your  soul.  Watch  when  you  think  yourself 
strong;  watoh  with  unceasing  care  as  Our  Lord  said  to  the 
Apostles:  "  Watch  ye  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  tempta- 
tion/' St.  Anthony  said  to  his  disciples,  "  I  counsel  you,  my 
sons,  to  have  vigilance  over  your  hearts,  for  we  have  many 
enemies  who  can  destroy  them."  When  the  devil  sees  Chris- 
tians attentive  to  their  spiritual  life,  he  attacks  them  with 
temptations  and  spreads  over  them  his  net  of  bad  thoughts 
to  make  them  fall  into  sin.  Prayer,  vigils,  fasts,  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  faith,  trust  in  God,  humility,  and  a  great  love  of 
Jesus  Christ  will  put  'him  to  flight. 

But  to  return  t;o  the  ship.  If  a  vessel  strikes  a  rock,  all  is 
generally  lost,  while  if  the  soul  falls  into  sin,  she  can  quickly 
rise  again.  By  the  grace  of  God,  a  plank,  which  is  the  Sacra- 
ment of  Penance,  is  thrown  out  to  her,  by  which  she  can  still 
reach  the  haven  of  heaven.  But  how  few  there  are  who  look  for 
this  plank;  how  many  have  indeed  found  it,  but  use  it  badly, 
by  making  bad  confessions!  It  is  most  absurd  to  be  careless 
of  shipwreck  because  we  may  find  the  means  of  being  saved. 
WouM  any  one  say  to  the  captain  of  a  ship,  "  Do  not  be  so 
careful;  the  wreck  will  produce  many  pieces  of  wood  by 
which  we  can  save  ourselves."  What  would  become  of  the 
valuable  freight  which  the  sihip  bears? 

Your  soul  is  a  rich  treasure  when  alive  in  the  grace  of 
God;  if  a  single  mortal  sin  should  creep  into  that  soul,  it 
would  die  to  God,  and  those  great,  magnificent  Christian 
virtues  you  practised  with  so  much  attention  would  be  lost; 
they  would  no  longer  give  us  the  right  to  a  reward  in  para- 
dise. Oh,  how  often  this  happens!  Let  us  look  at  that  good 
youth,  who  by  means  of  a  pious  education  received  from 
his  parents,  by  his  good  will  and  vigilance  over  himself,  keeps 
his  baptismal  innocence;  goes  to  his  first  communion,  and 
loves  Our  Lord  his  Saviour.  What  treasures  of  grace  he  ac- 
cumulates!   Afterwards,  unhappily,  grown  tired  of  watchful- 


58  Jesus  in  a  Storm  on  the  Lake. 

ness,  he  falls  into  a  great  sin.  What  a  dreadful  wreck,  which 
should  be  deplored  with  the  bitterest  tears.  In  one  instant 
he  has  robbed  himself  of  all  the  treasures  he  had  gathered; 
he  is  dead  before  Grod.  Behold  how  sin  robs  us  of  our  most 
precious  treasures!  Oh,  that  he  'had  made  some  more  deter- 
mined effort  of  resistance!  Oh,  had  he  but  invoked  the  names 
of  Jesus  and  Mary  sincerely,  he  would  not  have  fallen  into 
sin.  What  a  dreadful  monster  from  hell  is  sin;  it  is  worse 
than  the  lightning  stroke  that  melts  all  the  gold  in  the 
money  chest,  for  sin  so  destroys  and  devours  all  our  good 
works  that  they  cannot  be  accounted  to  our  credit  for  eternal 
life.  It  is  true  that  as  soon  as  we  repent,  our  good  works 
revive  again  by  God's  infinite  kindness;  still,  many  who  fall 
into  sin  obstinately  remain  in  it,  and  vain  is  their  former 
goodness. 

Let  me  impress  upon  your  minds,  my  young  people,  the 
disastrous  results  of  overconfidence  in  being  saved.  A  youth 
who  had  lived  a  bad  life  had  a  strong  inspiration  to  give  up 
his  evil  ways.  He  wrote  down  his  sins,  so  as  to  make  a  general 
confession  more  easily  and  fully,  ajid  was  on  his  way  to 
church,  when  the  thought  came  into  his  mind:  I  will  com- 
mit that  sin  once  more;  it  will  not  matter  much,  a  few  times 
more  or  less,  and  it  is  just  as  easy  to  confess;  this  will  cer- 
tainly be  the  last  time.  He  gave  way  to  the  temptation, 
committed  the  sin  again,  and,  in  coming  from  the  house,  was 
killed  by  an  enemy. 

Be  ye,  my  dear  young  people,  always  on  your  guard;  you 
are  still  innocent;  make  every  effort  to  remain  so,  that  the 
little  vessel  of  your  soul  may  'arrive  safely  in  port.  A  ship 
well  furnished,  and  provided  with  all  necessaries,  guided  by 
an  expert  pilot,  will  be  able  to  cope  with  the  fiercest  tempest 
and  will  surely  enter  the  harbor  in  triumph. 

My  dear  young  people,  you  are  young  and  inexperienced 
as  yet;  put  yourselves  under  the  management  of  a  skilful 
pilot,  who  knows  the  dangers  of  life  and  how  to  avoid  them. 
The  confessor  is  your  pilot;    let  him  give  you  full  instruc- 


Fourth  Sunday  after  JEjpijphany .  59 

tions  in  your  conduct,  and  then  have  recourse  to  God  in 
prayer;  imitate  the  example  of  the  Apostles,  who,  when  the 
danger  was  greatest,  went  with  confidence  to  Our  Lord  and 
said,  ^^  0  Lord,  have  you  no  care  for  us;  why  do  you  abandon 
us?  "  Our  Lord  will  rouse  Himself  from  sleep  at  your  cries, 
and  will  say  half  encouragingly,  half  complainingly,  "  Why 
are  you  fearful,  0  ye  of  little  faith?  Is  this  your  confidence 
in  Me?  Has  My  grace  done  so  very  little  for  you?"  Then 
He  will  command  the  sea  of  disturbance  to  be  oalm,  and  you 
will  be  astonished  at  the  power  and  the  love  of  Our  Lord; 
you  will  say  with  the  Apostles,  "  Wlio  ifl  this,  thinkest  thou, 
that  both  wind  and  sea  obey  Him? '' 

Yes,  my  young  friends,  have  a  most  lively  faith  in  Jesus, 
and  when  any  temptation  allures  you,  or  when  in  danger, 
cry  out  with  the  Apostles,  "  Master,  doth  it  not  concern  Thee 
that  we  perish?  "  When  you  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  into 
sin,  was  it  not  because  you  neglected  to  call  on  Our  Lord 
for  help?  on  the  contrary,  did  you  not  oome  out  of  tempta- 
tion unscathed  when  you  flew  to  the  Almighty  for  protec- 
tion? Then  always  have  recourse  to  God;  remember  that  He 
loves  you  more  than  you  can  ever  realize,  and.  be  sure  He 
will  not  allow  you  to  be  tempted  beyond  your  strength.  If 
He  should  give  the  devil  permission  to  try  yon  by  temptation, 
you  may  be  certain  He  'has  set  a  limit,  beyond  which  he  can- 
not go;  the  chained  dog  may  make  a  great  noise  but  he  can 
do  no  harm. 

Do  you  really  believe  that  anything  would  have  'happened 
to  the  bark  tossed  on  the  lake?  Not  at  all.  It  is  the  same 
with  ourselves.  Do  not  imagine  that  any  misfortune  will 
happen  to  you  if  you  trustingly  confide  in  God.  St. 
Anthony,  after  having  put  to  flight  a  great  number  of 
devils,  sending  forth  a  profound  sigh  to  Our  Lord  said, 
"Where,  0  dear  Jesus,  were  you?  Wliy  did  you  not  come 
sooner  to  help  me?'^  Our  Lord  answered,  "Anthony,  I  was 
with  you  all  the  time,  and  saw  your  struggles;  you  were 
tempted  that  you  might  be  strengthened  in  virtue;  you  have 


60  The  Good  Seed  and  the  Bad  Sown  into  it. 

fought  well,  and  hereafter,  you  need  not  fear  your  ene- 
mies." 

In  this  way  will  God  act  toward  you,  if  in  your  temptations 
you  have  recourse  to  Him. 

FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EPIPHANY. 

Gospel.  Matt.  ^i\i.  24-30.  At  that  time:  Jesus  spoke  this  parable  to 
the  multitude,  saying:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  to  a  man 
that  sowed  good  seed  in  his  field:  but  while  men  were  asleep,  his 
enemy  came  and  oversowed  cockle  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his 
way.  And  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit, 
then  appeared  also  the  cockle.  Then  the  servants  of  the  good  man 
of  the  house  coming  said  to  him:  Sir,  didst  thou  not  sow  good  seed 
in  thy  field?  whence  then  hath  it  cockle?  And  he  said  to  them:  An 
enemy  hath  done  this.  And  the  servants  said  to  him:  Wilt  thou 
that  we  go  and  gather  it  up  ?  And  he  said :  No :  lest  perhaps  gather- 
ing up  the  cockle,  you  root  up  the  wheat  also  together  with  it. 
Suffer  both  to  grow  until  the  harvest,  and  in  the  time  of  the  harvest 
I  will  say  to  the  reapers:  Gather  up  first  the  cockle,  and  bind  it  in 
bundles  to  burn;  but  the  wheat  gather  ye  into  my  baxn. 

THE   GOOD   SEED  AND  THE  BAD  SOWN  INTO  IT. 

The  kingdom  of  God  is  like  to  a  man  that  sowed  good 
seed  in  his  field.  But  in  the  night  when  all  slept,  the  enemy 
cQm.e  and  over  it  sowed  cockle  and  spoiled  all  the  work.  We 
can  easily  see  what  will  happen,  when,  over  the  good  seed, 
bad  is  sown.  The  whole  future  crop  will  be  ruined  to  a  cer- 
tainty. 

This  good  husbandman,  who  cultivated  his  land  so  care- 
fully, is  God,  our  most  loving  Saviour,  who  came  to  redeem 
U8  and  give  His  life  for  us.  The  field  in  which  the  good  seed 
falls  is  the  world;  but  you  can  take  it  to  be  your  heart  also, 
and  the  enemy  who  ©ows  cockle  ie  the  devil.  What  happened 
to  the  field  also  happens  to  us.  God  is  the  good  husbandman 
of  our  souls.  What  good  seed  does  He  not  sow  in  us?  Holy 
inspirations,  holy  thoughts,  thoughts  to  do  what  is  right,  to 
make  progress  in  fervor  and  devotion,  and  in  His  holy  love. 


Fifth  Sunday  after  EjpijpTumy,  61 

He  also  sows  good  seed  in  our  hearts  when  He  comes  to  dwell 
there  in  holy  communion.  He  produces  there  every  virtue 
and  takes  away  every  vice. 

But  rare  iudeed  are  the  youths  who  joyfully  receive  the 
good  seed  which  Our  Lord  plants.  On  the  contrary,  many 
desire  the  bad.  They  even  invite  the  devil  to  come,  and  give 
him  perfect  liberty  to  do  as  he  pleases.  The  result  is  bad 
thoughts,  most  perverse  desires,  a  disgust  for  all  that  is  good, 
bad  actions,  a  life  of  wickedness,  so  that  if  you  could  take  a 
look  into  their  hearts  you  would  see  an  otherwise  pleasant 
field  filled  with  brambles  and  thorns  and  covered  with  poison- 
ous plants.  When  does  this  sower  of  bad  seed  come  to  do 
this  mischief  ?  He  does  it  at  night,  when  people  are  not 
watchful;  when  they  are  idle  and  inclined  to  sleep;  not  car- 
ing to  strengthen  themselves  with  prayer  and  the  use  of  the 
sacraments;  when  with  all  their  might  they  do  not  fly  the 
occasions  of  sin;  in  short  when  they  fall  asleep  in  the  practice 
of  virtue.  It  is  then  that  the  enemy  secretly  enters.  Ah,  my 
dear  young  people,  watch  most  carefully  that  the  devil  may 
find  no  entrance  to  do  this  evil  to  your  innocent  hearts.  He 
has  a  trick  of  making  his  bad  work  look  insignificant,  but 
soon  the  seed  will  take  such  deep  root  that  it  will  be  almost 
impossible  to  eradicate  the  evil.  The  devil  needs  very  little 
to  gain  possession  of  your  souls.  A  little  concession  on  your 
part  is  all  he  wants.  In  fact  the  devil  needed  nothing  more 
from  David  than  a  look  from  afar.  Could  he  ask  less  from 
so  saintly  a  man,  the  favorite  of  almighty  God?  St.  Francis 
of  Assifii  once  said  to  his  companions,  "  Do  not  let  the  devil 
have  a  hold  of  a  single  hair  of  your  head,  for  no  sooner  has 
he  that  in  hand  than  he  will  drag  you  to  anything."  Great 
is  the  care  we  must  exercise,  then,  in  avoiding  the  snares 
laid  for  us.  But,  St.  Bernard  says,  the  devil  can  harm 
only  those  who  wish  to  be  harmed. 

After  the  field  had  received  this  double  sowing,  every  day 
it  showed  more  plainly  that  there  had  been  bad  work  done. 
The  servants  saw  this^  and  full  of  affiction  they  hastened  to 


'62  The  Good  Seed  and  the  Bad  Sown  into  it, 

the  master  and  said,  "  Didst  thou  not  sow  good  seed  in  thy 
field?  whence  then  hath  it  cockle?"  The  lord  answered, 
"It  is  certainly  not  my  sowing;  an  enemy  has  done  this." 
"  What  are  we  to  do  now?  Would  it  not  be  well  if  we  pulled 
the  bad  weeds  out  so  as  to  clear  the  field  of  it?  "  "  Do  not 
do  that,"  said  the  master,  "far  the  good  seed  would  suffer 
by  it.  Let  both  grow  together,  and  let  both  ripen.  Then 
I  will  give  my  orders  to  the  reapers:  Gather  up  first  the 
cockle  and  bind  it  into  bundles  to  bum,  but  the  wheat  gather 
ye  into  my  bam." 

This  cockle  is  a  figure  of  the  wicked  Christians,  eons  of 
the  devil,  who  live  with  the  good.  How  much  of  this  bad 
seed  and  bad  crops  are  to  be  found  in  the  field  of  the  Church? 
Bad  Christians  have  chosen  the  devil  as  their  master,  and 
they  seek  to  do  his  will.  They  even  go  further,  and  are 
worse  than  the  devil  himself.  They  become  adepts  in  vice: 
by  their  bad  words,  their  wicked  deeds,  and  bad  example 
(which  the  devil  has  not  power  to  show),  they  sow  evil  on 
all  sides.  How  many  innocent  youths  do  they  precipitate 
into  sin!  Some  of  you,  my  dear  young  people,  even  at  this 
early  period  of  your  life,  have  cause  to  shed  bitter  tears  for 
having  trampled  under  foot  your  purity.  The  devil  could 
not  cause  so  much  evil  unless  he  were  well  seconded  by  so 
many  of  'his  sons;  by  so  many  scandalous  companions;  these 
are  they  vrho  fill  the  whole  world  with  their  crimes. 

But  we  see  'here  the  great  mercy  of  Grod.  All  creatures, 
the  ministers  of  God's  Justice,  clamor  for  extermination  of 
these  sinners.  The  water  cries  out,  "I  will  drown  these 
wicked  sinners! "  The  fire  leaps  up  to  reduce  them  to  ashes. 
The  earth  would  open  a  great  chasm  to  suck  in  these 
wretches.  The  whole  world  groans  under  this  load  of  sin, 
and  would  be  happy  to  shake  off  this  burden  of  iniquity.  But 
God  in  His  infinite  patience  restrains  the  elements  so  that 
they  do  no  harm,  for  He  allows  the  sun  to  shine  on  the  good 
and  on  the  bad,  and  the  beneficent  rain  to  fall  on  all.  St. 
Augustine  laments  most  beautifully  his  own  condition.    "  I 


Fifth  Svmday  after  Epvphany,  63 

sinned  and  you  appeared  not  to  notice  it.  I  did  not  refrain 
from  crime  but  you  refrained  from  punishment.  I  continued 
a  long  time  to  commit  sin  but  you  continued  your  love  toward 
me/' 

But  will  God  always  act  in  tbis  manner  toward  those  who 
will  not  be  converted?  The  day  of  vengeance  will  come. 
God,  sitting  on  a  throne  from  which  proceeds  thunder  and 
lightning,  will  come  in  His  great  majesty  and  will  command 
His  angels  to  separate  the  cockle  from  the  wheat.  He  will 
make  bundles  of  the  wicked  youths  who  are  present  in  the 
Church  only  to  make  fun  of  religion,  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  the  saints;  bundles  of  so  many  insolent  youths,  dis- 
obedient men,  who  seem  to  live  only  to  give  trouble  to  their 
superiors;  bundles  of  the  evil-tongued  ones  that  destroy  the 
innocence  of  others;  bundles  of  so  many  scandalous  youths, 
w'ho  are  a  disgrace  to  Christianity;  bundles  of  those  irreligi- 
ous, unbelieving  miscreants,  who  destroy  the  precious  deposit 
of  faith  in  others.  All  these  will  be  put  into  bundles  to  bum 
for  all  eternity.  The  only  good  that  comes  from  their  lives  is 
that  they  show  forth  the  terrible  judgment  of  God  and  of  His 
justice.  The  great  evil  of  the  world  is  that  while  its  young 
people  hear  the  menaces  of  God  they  care  very  little  for  the 
threats  and  still  continue  in  their  wicked  ways. 

Father  Segneri  gives  us  an  example  which  will  illustrate 
all  that  I  'have  said.  The  Emperor  Yalens  is  conceded  by  all 
to  have  been  a  most  wicked  man.  He  persecuted  the 
Catholic  Church  and  showed  great  favor  to  the  Arians,  who 
had  done  so  much  injury  to  religion.  God  almighty  was  at 
length  moved  by  the  groans  of  the  suffering  Church  and 
raised  the  Whole  West  against  the  East  and  Vailens  took  the 
field.  A  holy  hermit,  who  had  his  home  in  a  cave  in  the 
mountain,  came  down  and  went  to  visit  the  emperor.  '^  Em- 
peror," said  *he,  "  open  the  churches  you  have  closed  and  you 
will  return  victorious — if  not  you  shall  die  on  the  field  of 
battle."  Valens  heard  him,  but  said  he  was  crazy,  and  con- 
tinued his  march.    The  hermit  had  a  mission  from  God  and 


64  The  Good  Seed  omd  the  Bad  Sown  mto  it. 

was  not  discouraged.  Again  he  met  the  emperor  and  re- 
peated the  same  words.  The  impious  Valens  was  struck  with 
them,  but  thought  it  weakness  on  the  one  side  to  yield,  and 
still  on  the  other  it  seemed  to  him  temerity  not  to  heed  the 
warning.  He  convoked  a  council  that  day,  but  as  they  were 
Arians  they  emboldened  him  and  even  had  the  hermit  pun- 
ished. 

But  a  third  time  the  monk  made  'his  appearance  and  tak- 
ing hold  of  the  reins  of  the  emperor's  horse,  he  said:  "  I  have 
come  back  to  warn  you  for  the  last  time.  Open  the  churches 
and  you  will  'conquer  your  enemies — ^otherwise  you  will  die 
on  the  field.''  Angry  at  this  interruption  the  emperor  had 
the  man  thrown  down  a  precipice  where  they  expected  him 
to  find  his  death.  No  sooner  had  the  army  passed  than  three 
angels  dressed  in  white  drew  him  from  the  precipice  not  only 
uninjured  but  without  a  scratch  on  his  body.  Then  taking 
a  short  path  'he  once  more  presented  himself  to  the  emperor. 
The  emperor  had  him  seized  and  thrown  into  prison  until 
the  return  of  the  army  from  battle,  when  the  hermit  was  to 
be  chastised  well.  ^'  You  will  never  return,"  said  the  hermit. 
"  You  will  go  into  battle  and  will  be  beaten.  You  will  have 
to  flee  and  at  last  you  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  your  enemies 
who  will  bum  you  at  the  stake." 

All  that  the  holy  monk  had  predicted  came  to  pass.  The 
emperor  went  to  battle  and  suffered  a  severe  repulse  and  his 
army  was  put  to  flight.  The  emperor  himself  sought  refuge 
in  a  haystack,  and  when  the  enemy  came  they  set  fire  to  it 
and  he  was  burned  alive.  This  emperor  was  indeed  a  blind 
and  hardened  wretch,  who  had  many  warnings  from  the  man 
of  Grod.  But  many  sinners  are  muc^h  worse,  for  they  hear 
repeated  warnings,  and  all  to  no  purpose.  How  many  warn- 
ings the  confessor  gives  to  his  youthful  penitent.  "  If  you 
continue  such  a  life,"  he  will  say,  "  so  dissipated,  devotionless, 
without  prayer,  you  will  fall  into  mortal  sin.  If  you  do  not 
cease  that  immodest  talk  that  you  delight  in,  you  will  fall 
into  the  most  horrible  forms  of  that  sin.    If  you  do  not  guard 


Fifth  Sunday  after  Ejpijphany.  65 

yO'Ur  eyes  you  will  fill  your  heart  with  many  different  distrac- 
tions which  will  draw  you  from  God,  and  you  will  gradually 
sink  into  the  death  of  sin." 

These  warning's  are  heard  but  not  heeded;  prayer  is 
neglected,  bad  talk  is  continued  and  bad  companionship  is 
looked  for.  Be  not  hardened,  but  heed  these  threats.  God 
makes  them  to  warn  you.  If  up  to  the  present  you  have  been 
with  the  very  bad  crop,  you  can  change  your  whole  life;  you 
can  become  wheat;  your  nature  can  be  changed  to  such  a 
degree  that  the  cockle  will  produce  good  wheat. 

What  and  where  is  that  heavenly  bam  into  which  the 
Master  is  about  to  gather  all  His  wheat?  It  is  paradise,  where 
the  good  shall  have  joy  for  all  eternity.  They  will  be  in 
that  bam  secure  from  all  injury.  It  is  the  good  wheat  and 
the  precious  fruit  that  are  well  kept  for  future  use.  The 
fruit  is  now  harvested  and  protected  from  the  cold 
rains.  No  longer  the  hot,  oppressive  sun  burns  it;  no  more 
do  the  storms  worry  it;  it  is  safely  hidden  away  in  paradise. 
This  will  also  be  a  great  joy  to  the  elect,  who  no  longer 
need  stand  in  the  midst  of  the  wicked  band  so  hateful  to  God 
and  so  oppressive  to  the  good. 

There  are  no  more  tares  since  there  is  no  more  bad  seed; 
all  is  pure  wheat.  All  in  heaven  adore  God,  together  all  love 
Him,  all  bless  Him;  there  are  none  that  will  not  do'  glory  to 
God.  Would  it  not  be  dreadful  if  one  of  you  were  excluded 
from  that  beautiful  eternal  home  for  one  sin? 

A  rich  man  lost  in  one  evening  at  play  his  beautiful  home 
and  was  put  out  of  it,  a  beggar.  He  never  could  pass  it  after- 
ward but  tears  gushed  from  his  eyes  as  he  thought  tO'  him- 
self: "  What  a  fool  I  have  been!  In  one  night,  for  the  pleas- 
ure of  a  game,  I  risked  and  lost  my  beautiful  home.  All  my 
life  I  must  be  a  houseless  vagrant,  for  I  am  too  old  to  amass 
enough  to  purchase  another  home." 

What  will  the  thoughts  of  the  damned  be  when  they  see 
the  places  in  paradise  which  would  have  been  theirs  had  they 
only  made  a  little  effort?  But,  for  a  momentary  pleasure,  they 
sacrifioed  all. 


66  The  Musta/rd  Seed — The  Le<wen, 


SIXTH   SUNDAY  AFTER   EPIPHANY. 

GrOSPEL.  Matt.  xiii.  31-35.  At  that  time:  Jesus  spoke  to  the  multi- 
tudes this  parable:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  grain  of 
mustard-seed,  which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his  field:  Which  is 
the  least  indeed  of  all  seeds:  but  when  it  is  grown  up,  it  is  greater 
than  all  herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air 
come  and  dwell  in  the  branches  thereof.  Another  parable  he  spoke 
to  them:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  leaven,  which  a  woman 
took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  until  the  whole  was  leavened. 
All  these  things  Jesus  spoke  in  parables  to  the  multitudes :  and  with- 
out parables  he  did  not  speak  to  them.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled 
which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet,  saying:  I  will  open  my  mouth  in 
parables,  I  will  utter  things  hidden  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world. 

THE  MUSTAKD  SEED — ^THE  LEAVEN". 

OuK  Lord  referred  to  His  kingdom  in  different  ways,  as 
you  have  already  noticed.  On  one  occasion  He  likened  it  to 
the  wise  virgins,  who,  with  their  lamps,  went  to  meet  the 
spouse.  He  compared  it,  also,  to  a  rich  merchant  who  knew 
of  a  precious  stone  in  a  certain  field,  and  sacrificed  all  he  had 
to  buy  that  field.  The  marriage  feast  made  for  His  divine 
Son  is  also  a  figure  of  the  Church;  so  also  the  net,  filled  with 
fishes,  which  was  drawn  to  the  land.  Among  all  these  simil- 
itudes— which  are  notahly  beautiful,  and  admired  by  literary 
men — the  mustard  seed,  the  one  of  to-da/s  Gospel,  is  the 
most  beautiful. 

A  man  takes  this  little  seed,  and  plants  it  in  a  suitable 
place  in  his  garden,  and  from  that  minute  seed  there  is 
raised  a  plant,  so  strong,  luxuriant,  and  hardy,  that  it  gives 
shelter  and  food  to  many  birds,  who  build  their  nests  thereon. 

The  Gospel  is  explained  in  different  ways;  but  the  most 
natural  explanation  is,  that  the  mustard  seed  is  the  primitive 
Church.  But  I  shall  take  it  for  my  text,  to  make  you  seriously 
think  on  an  important  truth,  which  I  find  hidden  in  this 
parable,  and  it  is  this:   We  must  not  think  that  we  have  to 


Sixth  Simday  after  EpvpTw/mj,  67 

do  great  and  extraordinary  things  to-  gain  heaven;  no,  we 
need  only  perform  our  ordinary  actions  well.  Our  little  works 
are  very  important.  It  is  these  that  will  bring  us  to  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Many  think,  it  is  very  hard  to  get  to 
heaven,  because  we  are  not  called  to  do  great  works.  Our 
position  is  the*  same  asv-that  held  by  millions  in  this  world, 
who  have  nothing  striking  or  great  to  perform.  Should  we, 
on  this  account,  fall  into  the  error  of -thinking  that  there- 
fore we  will  not  get  to  heaven?  And,  not  having  great  things 
to  do  we  even,  do  not  perform  our  daily  actions  as  we  ought. 
I  am^  pretty  certain,  my  good  young  people,  that  when  you 
read  in  the  lives  of  the  saints  of  their  liberality,  in  giving 
all  to  the  poor;  of  their  prompt  obedience  to  God^s  call,  in 
leaving  the  world  at  once;  when  you  read  of  the  fortitude 
with  which  they  disciplined  and  mortified  their  bodies;  how 
they  hardly  took  any  sleep;  prayed  from  morning  till  night 
and  through  the  night  until  morning,  that  you  become  dis- 
couraged, and  say  to  yourselves,  "  It  is  very  hard  to  go  to 
'heaven."  - 

Having  begun  your  journey  of  life  well,  under  the  guid- 
ance of  teachers  and  parents,  you  think  you  ought  to  do 
something  extraordinary,  and  become  discouraged  because 
you  find  no  opportunity  and  do  nothing — like  the  foolish 
boys  who  read  novels  about  Indian  warfare.  They  prepare 
to  go  to  fight  the  redmen,  take  pistols  and  powder  and  set 
out,  to  be  caught  by  a  policeman  and  ignominiously  brought 
back  to  be  delivered  over  to  the  cxistody  of  sorrowful 
parents. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  tihink  you  must  do  extraordinary 
things  if  you  want  to  get  to  heaven.  The  devil  is  the  author 
of  this  deceit,  by  means  of  which  he  gains  control  of  many 
souls  who  believe  it  is  too  hard  to  be  saved.  They  lose  cour- 
age, and  conclude  that  the  best  thing  to  do  is  to  enjoy  a  good 
time  instead  of  thinking  how  to  become  saints. 

God  wants  us  all  to  be  saints,  but  not  in  the  same  way. 
Some  He  calls  to  live  in  the  desert  and  there  He  wants  them 


68  The  Mustard  Seed — Tlie  Leaven, 

to  lead  saintly  lives.  But  young  men  in  general  are  called  to 
live  in  the  world  and  there  they  have  to  become  saints.  But 
you  will  say,  "  Yes,  precisely.  That  is  the  difficulty — ^to  be 
saints  in  the  midst  of  the  world,  where  there  are  so  many 
distractions,  so  many  occasions  of  sin."  Yes,  I  will  grant 
that  there  is  really  great  difficulty  in  getting  through  life  with 
your  baptismal  innocence.  The  old  mian  that  goes  to  his  grave 
will  tell  you  how  hard  it  is.  But  let  us  not  m'al^e  the  diffi- 
culty any  greater  than  it  is,  and  whether  it  be  small  or  great 
we  have  to  make  the  best  of  it. 

"  But,"  you  will  say,  "  I  shall  have  to  do  a  great  deal  of 
good;  long  prayers,  discipline  and  penance  will  be  necessary, 
for  the  saints  did  these  things,  and  I  hate  and  fear  them." 
But  let  me  tell  you  that  not  even  this  is  necessary.  You 
surely  have  not  forgotten  the  Gospel  which  has  been  read  to 
you  just  now,  of  the  grain  of  mustard  seed.  This,  then,  is 
what  you  oug'ht  to  do.  As  soon  as  you  rise  from  your  bed 
in  the  morning,  raise  your  eyes  to  heaven,  and  say  to  Our 
Lord:  "  I  would  like  to  make  a  long  prayer,  but  I  must  now 
go  to  my  work  to  earn  my  bread,  and  to  do  my  duty.  Lord, 
all  that  I  am  about  to  do  shall  be  for  Thy  honor  and  gloiry." 
Then,  during  the  day,  think  often  of  God  and  send  up  a 
prayer  to  the  throne  of  His  grace  as  an  act  of  filial  love.  In 
the  evening  before  you  retire,  again  say  to  Our  Lord:  "  0, 
my  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  the  many  graces  given  me  on  this 
day.  I  am  now  going  to  take  my  rest,  that  my  strength  may 
be  regained  and  I  may  be  able  to  continue  to  do  something 
for  Thy  glory."  Then  offer  all  your  sufferings,  poverty,  cold, 
hunger,  dishonor,  disappointments  to  God  and  say  to  Him, 
"  All  this  has  been  for  Thy  love! "  Then  resolve  to  re- 
main firm  in  the  good  resolutions  you  have  taken,  and  these 
little  actions  offered  with  a  good  intention  are  made  great 
and  glorious  works  before  God.  As  St.  John  Chrysostom 
says,  '^  These  actions  cost  no  expense  nor  labor  nor  sweat; 
good  will  is  all  that  is  required  for  a  good  action.  Our  Lord 
looks  more  to  the  heart  than  to  the  work.    If  you  do  your 


Sixth  Sunday  after  Epijpliany,  69 

work  with  a  good  heart  it  will  have  the  greatest  merit.  Our 
Lord  praised  the  poor  widow  who  gave  her  mite  to  the 
Temple,  because  the  intention  made  it  a  noble  sacrifice  before 
God.  Do  not  the  little  insignificant  actions  of  a  child  please 
us  though  there  is  not  much  in  them?  So  it  is  with  our- 
selves before  God.  The  rich  men  who  threw  into  the  corbona 
great  sums  of  money  were  not  commended  at  all,  but  this 
poor  woman  is  extolled  by  Our  Lord  Himself.  A  glass  of 
cold  water  is  certainly  a  small  matter  and  costs  nothing;  and 
yet  almighty  God  has  promised  to  reward  it  when  given  in 
His  name. 

These  are  small  things  that  we  all  can  do,  but  they  are 
the  acts  that  will  gain  for  us  heaven  as  a  reward. 

We  have  to  lament,  however,  that  though  it  is  so  easy  to 
offer  our  ordinary  actions  to  God,  there  are  thousands  who 
act  only  from  a  mere  human  motive,  and  thus  lose  all  the 
reward.  Do  not  forget,  then,  that  little  things  bring  us  to 
heaven — not  the  great  actions. 

Here  is  a  little  example  from  Father  Segneri.  It  is  related 
that  the  Emperor  Theodosius  went  to  Treves,  in  order  to  view 
there  the  old  Roman  games.  Two  members  of  his  court  who 
did  not  care  for  these  sights,  stayed  away,  taking  a  walk 
through  the  country  in  order  to  feast  their  eyes  on  nature. 
As  they  were  passing  along  they  found  deep  in  the  woods 
a  solitary  home,  where  some  hermits  lived.  They  entered, 
and,  as  they  were  speculating  concerning  the  smallness  of  the 
house  and  the  absence  of  furniture,  they  saw  a  book  of  pretty 
good  size  on  the  table.  One  of  the  men  opened  it  and  found 
it  to  be  the  life  of  St.  Anthony.  He  began  to  read  it  out 
of  curiosity  at  first,  but  he  became  so  interested  in  it,  that 
after  a  while  he  could  hardly  stop  reading,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  great  desire  to  imitate  these  examples  took  possession 
of  him.  After  deep  meditation  he  said  to  his  companion  with 
shame  depicted  on  his  face:  ^^  W'hat  road  are  we  poor  fellows 
travelling,  with  our  great  pretensions,  our  courtly  manners, 
and  servitude  to  Hhe  king?     Where  are  we  going  to  end? 


70  The  Mustard  Seed — The  Leaven, 

What  more  can  w&  ever  expect?  than  the  favar  of  the  prince? 
And,  supposing  we  get  that — what  will  come  of  it?  Life  is 
fihort,  and  youth  a  very  slippery  time.  There  are  many  who 
are  our  competitors  and  if  they  -exert  themselves,  they  may 
get  ahead  of  us;  what  will  we  have  in  the  end?  We  will  have 
had  much  affliction  but  very  little  consolation  and  peace. 
To  become  God's  friend  all  that  is  required  is  to  wish  it." 

The  man  again  read  on;  then  he  closed  the  book  resolutely, 
and  standing  there  with  his  bands  on  it  he  said  to  his  com- 
panion: "  As  for  me  I  am  now  resolved  not  to  go  from  here 
again.  In  this  house  and  in  this  place  I  wish  to  consecrate 
myself  to  Grod.  If  you  do  not  choose  to  imitate  my  example 
do  not  disturb  me." 

"  What!  "  said  the  other,  *^  do  you  think  it  pleases  God  that 
I  should  have  the  earth,  and  you  take  heaven  for  your  por- 
tion? "  They  put  their  resolution  into  practice  on  the  spot 
and  took  the  lowly  garb  of  hermits,  laying  aside  their  rich 
court  dresses;  locking  themselves  in  a  'hermit's  cell  they  re- 
mained faithful  to  their  vows  to  the  end  of  their  lives. 

Where  did  the  holiness  of  these  courtiers  begin?  From 
the  time  they  refused  to  go  to  the  theatre.  Had  they  gone 
there  they  would  not  have  seen  that  book  nor  made  the 
serious  reflections  which  led  them  afterwards  to  embrace  a 
holy  life.  If  on  so  little  depends  a  good  life  or  a  bad  one, 
ought  you  not  to  fear  the  small  beginnings  of  sin  and  seek 
the  small  beginnings  of  doing  good,  that  Our  Lord  may 
prosper  you? 

May  not  your  irreverence  and  your  talking  in  church  be 
the  beginning  of  a  bad  life?  May  not  your  aversion  to  hear- 
ing the  word  of  God,  or  going  to  confession  from  mere  habit, 
without  any  sorrow  for  your  sins,  be  the  first  impulse  to  a 
bad  life?  Those  communions  made  so  coldly,  with  so  little 
preparation,  with  no  thanksgiving  after  them,  lead  into  the 
way  of  death. 

Again,  when  you  despise  the  inspirations  of  God,  when 
you  neglect  putting  into  practice  the  holj  advice  received 


Sixth  Sunday  after  Ejpijphany,  71 

from  your  confessor,  or  your  spiritual  superiors,  where  will 
this  lead?  These  are  all  venital  sins,  and  taken  singly  do  not 
matter  much,  but  taken  on  the  whole  do  they  not  show  an  in- 
clination to  evil?  The  little  value  you  set  on  your  faith  and 
a  good  life  show  you  are  beginning  to  drift  away,  slowly,  im- 
perceptibly at  first,  but  when  you  have  been  caught  by  the 
stream,  you  will  be  swept  along  the  path  of  death  with  fear- 
ful rapidity.  A  spark  is  very  small,  but  it  may  kindle  a  ter- 
rible fire.  In  the  same  manner,  from  these  little  things  come 
often  great  spiritual  ruin.  A  glance  of  the  eye,  listening 
to  a  bad  conversation,  improper  reading,  a  wilful  thought 
not  repressed,  can  be  the  begiuning  of  a  downward  course, 
and  it  is  very  hard  to  stop,  and  next  to  impossible  to  retrace 
the  steps. 

In  the  infirmities  of  the  soul  we  find  the  same  symptoms 
as  in  sickness  of  the  body.  Here  is  a  youth  in  the  flower  of 
his  life,  strong,  healthy,  fresh  and  rosy.  One  day  he  feels 
a  pain  in  his  'head.  He  suffers  loss  of  appetite,  and  a  slight 
fever  declares  itself.  He  goes  to  bed  and  his  condition  be- 
comes worse;  for  some  reason  doctors  cannot  help  him,  and 
in  a  few  days  'his  funeral  winds  its  way  to  the  graveyard. 
How  could  such  a  young  and  healthy  man  die  so  soon! 

Now  how  is  it  in  the  spiritual  life  ?  That  youth  was  healthy 
and  strong  when  'he  made  his  first  communion.  He  was 
full  of  good  resolutions;  he  avoided  sin  more  carefully  than 
he  would  death;  he,  in  short,  served  God  with  fervor.  But 
he  felt  a  coldness  in  the  practice  of  his  religion.  It  was  but 
a  very  slight  coldness:  he  was  careless  at  his  prayers;  he 
omitted  hie  frequent  communions.  At  first  he  was  scrupu- 
lous aboorfc  entertaining  evil  thoughts,  and  in  choosing  his 
companions,  and  when  he  heard  them  speak  evil  words  he 
rebuked  them  and  avoided  them  afterwards.  But  by  degrees 
he  reliehed  wicked  conversation  and  was  ashamed  to  appear 
too  pious.  That  youth,  once  so  good,  had  lost  his  delicacy 
of  conscience,  and  went  on  until  he  lost  all  shame  and  came 
to  the  last  stages  of  spiritual  life;   he  lost  the  grace  of  God 


72  The  Mustard  Seed — The  Leaven, 

altogether  by  one  great  sin,  and  now  he  is  spiritually  dead, 
in  the  hands  of  the  devil,  and  no  longer  able  to  rise,  like  a 
beast  that  has  fallen  under  its  load.  Does  not  this  prove  that 
we  must  carefully  avoid  our  small  faults?  Tertullian  tells  us 
that  little  faults  are  the  beginnings  of  great  crimes. 

There  are  some  who  laugh  at  such  an  argument,  but  let 
us  not  look  lightly  on  suoh  matters.  Be  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  these  assertions,  though  they  seem  a  little  far- 
fetched. You  will  be  able  to  trace  the  consequences  of  evil 
to  small  beginnings  when  you  stand  at  the  judgment-seat  of 
Grod.  When  the  heavy  veil  of  ignorance  and  passion  shall 
fall  from  your  eyes,  then  you  will  admit  the  truth.  The  just 
man  will  see  how  close  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice  he  was 
sometimes  walking,  without  knowing  it.  That  Mass  at 
which  you  assisted  with  devotion;  that  deed  which  seemed 
to  have  so  little  good  in  it;  that  communion  made  in  honor 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  was  the  beginning  of  your  salvation. 
Had  you  gone  perhaps  just  once  more  with  a  certain  com- 
panion; in  such  a  temptation  had  you  failed  to  call  on  Jesus 
and  Mary,  what  would  have  become  of  you?  You  mortified 
your  eyes;  now  you  see  the  glory  of  God.  You  shed  a  few 
tears,  and  now  you  enjoy  the  forgiveness  of  your  sins  and 
eternal  happiness. 

How  will  the  damned,  on  the  contrary,  burst  into 
blasphemy  and  rage  when  they  see  how  little  would 
have  saved  them!  They  will  say,  "Oh,  that  I  had  lis- 
tened to  that  sermon  from  which  I  deliberately  ran  away! 
If  I  had  not  liked  a  certain  company;  if  I  had  gone  to  con- 
fession with  a  little  more  compunction;  if,  on  a  particular 
day,  I  had  not  fallen  into  that  sin,  I  would  be  saved  and 
would  be  now  in  paradise.  If  with  a  little  fervor  I  had  said, 
'  Lord,  give  me  Thy  kingdom,^  I  would  now  be  in  heaven  in- 
stead of  in  hell." 

One  word  on  the  other  parable  which  Our  Lord  proposed. 
The  kingdom  of  God  is  also  like  to  a  little  leaven,  which 
a  woman  took  and  mixed  with  the  dough,  so  that  you  could 
no  longer  distinguish  it,  but  the  whole  was  influenced  by  it 


Sejptuagesima  Sunday.  73 

and  was  leavened.  Some  doctors  say  that  by  this  leaven  is 
meant  the  virtue  of  charity,  and  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ, 
infused  into  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  By  these  God 
reigns  in  our  soul.  That  woman  is  the  holy  Christian  soul, 
who  hides  the  word  of  God  in  the  heart  to  keep  it  there,  where 
it  does  its  work  by  spreading  its  influence  over  a  whole  life. 
It  restrains  our  evil  character  and  corrects  it.  Then  put 
this  holy  leaven  of  the  word  of  God  into  your  soul,  take  care 
of  it  and  let  it  work,  and  you  will  be  happy  for  all  eternity. 


SEPTUAGESIMA   SUNDAY. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xx.  1-16.  At  this  time:  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples 
this  parable:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  householder,  who 
went  early  in  the  morning  to  hire  laborers  into  his  vineyard.  And 
having  agreed  with  the  laborers  for  a  penny  a  day,  he  sent  them  into 
his  vineyard.  And  going  out  about  the  third  hour,  he  saw  others 
standing  in  the  market-place  idle,  and  he  said  to  them:  Go  you  also 
into  my  vineyard,  and  I  will  give  you  what  shall  be  just.  And  they 
went  their  way.  And  again  he  went  out  about  the  sixth  and  the  ninth 
hour:  and  did  in  like  manner.  But  about  the  eleventh  hour  he 
went  out  and  found  others  standing,  and  he  saith  to  them:  Why 
stand  you  here  all  the  day  idle?  They  say  to  him:  Because  no 
man  hath  hired  us.  He  saith  to  them:  Go  you  also  into  my  vine- 
yard. And  when  evening  was  come,  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  saith  to 
his  steward:  Call  the  laborers  and  pay  them  their  hire,  beginning 
from  the  last  even  to  the  first.  When  therefore  they  were  come,  that 
came  about  the  eleventh  hour,  they  received  every  man  a  penny.  But 
when  the  first  also  came,  they  thought  that  they  should  receive 
more:  and  they  also  received  every  man  a  penny.  And  receiving  it, 
they  murmured  against  the  master  of  the  house,  saying :  These  last 
have  worked  but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  to  us, 
that  have  borne  the  burden  of  the  day  and  the  heats.  But  he  an- 
swering said  to  one  of  them:  Friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong:  didst  thou 
not  agree  with  me  for  a  penny?  Take  what  is  thine,  and  go  thy  way: 
I  will  also  give  to  this  last  even  as  to  thee.  Or,  is  it  not  lawful  for 
tne  to  do  what  I  will?  is  thy  eye  evil  because  I  am  good?  So  shall 
the  last  be  first,  and  the  first,  last;  for  many  are  called,  but  few 
chosen. 


74  TJie  Laborers  in  Gocfs  Vineyard. 

THE   LABOEEKS   T^   GOD's   VINEYAUD   CALLED  AT  DIFFERENT 
TIMES  OF  THE   DAY. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  the  father  of  a  family, 
who  goes  out  very  early  in  the  morning  to  hire  laborers  for 
his  vineyard.  He  comes  to  the  square  in  the  city  where  work- 
men gather,  wiaiting  for  some  one  to  engage  them.  He  finds 
them  there  and  hires  them  to  work  in  his  vineyard,  agreeing 
to  give  them  a  penny  a  day.  Three  hours  afterward  he  goes 
there  again,  and  finds  some  more  who  wish  to  work;  these 
also  he  sends  to  work  and  promises  them  what  is  just.  Again, 
three  hours  afterward,  he  does  the  same,  and  also  at  the  ninth 
hour,  which  is  in  the  afternoon  when  the  heat  of  the  day 
is  over  and  the  day  is  far  spent,  when  they  could  not  expect 
to  be  hired  except  for  small  jobs;  still  this  father  of  a  family 
whose  work  was  very  pressing  hires  them  also.  Not  yet  sat- 
isfied, just  before  the  last  hour,  he  goes  to  the  market-place, 
and  still  there  are  some  standing  waiting,  thinking  perhaps 
that  they  may  obtain  work  for  the  day  following.  But  so 
great  was  the  hurry  of  the  father  of  the  family,  that  these 
also  he  sends  to  his  vineyard  to  work  for  that  one  sihort 
hour. 

"Wiho  is  that  father  of  a  family,  my  dear  young  people? 
He  is  our  good  God.  It  is  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth 
who  wants  us  all,  without  exception,  to  go  to  work  in  His 
vineyard,  which  is  the  Church.  As  is  stated.  He  is  continu- 
ally calling  and  sending  laborers  to  His  vineyard.  But  your 
own  little  soul  is  also  meant  in  speaking  of  the  vineyard. 
From  your  earliest  childhood  God  has  called  you  to  work 
there.  Have  you  worked  hard  and  faithfully  that  a  good 
harvest  might  be  obtained?  Perhaps  you  have  not  given  it 
a  thought,  and  have  been  idle  all  the  day.  All  your  thoughts 
and  endeavors  were  directed  to  enjoying  yourself  in  this 
world;  you  passed  your  time  in  play  and  idleness.  The  word 
f  of  God  was  loathsome  to  you;  not  only  did  you  not  think 
:  of  doing  right,  but  you  even  looked  forward  to  do  evil;  you 


S&ptuagesima  Sunday.  75 

labored  to  ruin  your  soul,  you  grew  fatigued  in  the  ways  of 
wickedness,  you  would  not  listen  to  the  loving  invitation  of 
God:  "  Go  you  also  into  My  vineyard.'^  Great  will  be  the 
punishment  of  such  young  people. 

But  you,  my  willing  young  people,  will  listen  to  the  invita- 
tion, and  at  once  proceed  to  the  cultivation  of  your  hearts. 
Listen  to  the  instruction  of  your  parents,  look  for  the  society 
of  good  companions,  attend  to  the  prayers  and  exhortations 
of  your  teachers  and  your  confessors.  Continually,  hour 
after  hour.  Our  Lord  knocks  at  the  door  of  your  hearts;  He 
wants  to  enter  and  remain  there.  He  is  anxious  to  obtain  full 
possession  of  your  soul.  He  is  not  looking  for  a  share  in 
your  heart,  but  for  the  whole  of  it;  the  heart  is  after  all, 
small;  the  more  you  give  it  to  the  world  the  less  will  remain 
for  God. 

St.  Teresa  had  affection  for  a  certain  relative;  she  noticed 
her  attachment  was  becoming  stronger,  and  she  gave  it  up. 
Then  Our  Lord  said  to  her,  *^  Now  you  are  altogether  Mine 
and  I  am  all  yours.''  But  some  of  you  may  say  that  accord- 
ing to  the  Gospel  it  does  not  seem  necessary  to  go  to  work 
at  the  first  call — there  is  time  enough,  the  invitation  will 
certainly  be  repeated  several  times  in  the  future  and  all  will 
heed  it.  God  is  so  good.  He  will  gladly  receive  ns  into  His 
vineyard  at  any  time  of  our  life.  Had  the  workmen  who 
stood  there  awaiting  a  call  said,  '^  Well,  we  will  not  go  now, 
but  will  wait  till  later  in  the  day,"  what  would  the  father  of 
the  family  have  said?  Would  he  have  waited  for  them?  It  is 
not  likely;  even  though  God  is  merciful  and  of  infinite  good- 
ness, will  He  continue  to  waste  His  invitation  on  nnwilling 
creatures?  Is  not  this  good  God  worthy  to  be  served  by  you 
from  your  dhildhood?  Are  you  going  to  give  Him  only  the 
last  days  oi  your  life.  He  who  is  worthy  of  all  love?  We 
would  certainly  fall  into  despair  if  we  came  to  the  end  of  our 
lives  and  found  we  had  done  nothing  for  the  glory  of  God. 

There  lived  a  certain  man  who  spent  the  most  of  his  life 
in  enjoyments.    He  used  to  say,  "  How  beautiful  the  world 


n 


^6  The  Laborers  in  God's  Yineyard. 

is!  I  have  all  I  want,  money  in  plenty,  servants  at  my  com- 
mand, good  food,  magnificent  estates,  and  agreeable  com- 
panions. Let  me  have  a  carnival  the  whole  year  round." 
In  this  way  he  continued  to  live  the  most  of  his  life,  but  in 
old  age  he  began  to  think  that  there  was  another  world,  where 
he  knew  he  would  be  unhappy  for  all  eternity.  He  became 
a  Religious,  and  consecrated  himself  entirely  to  God.  In  the 
beginning  the  poor  man  was  so  ashamed  of  himself  before 
God,  that  he  had  enjoyed  the  wicked  world  and  now  was 
willing  to  cheat  the  devil,  that  it  seemed  almost  dishonest 
of  him  to  participate  in  so  much  glory  in  heaven,  when  he 
had  deserved  nothing  but  condemnation  in  hell.  He  seemed 
to  hear  a  voice  within  him  saying,  *^^  You  are, a  nice  fellow; 
you  got  all  the  pleasure  that  was  possible  out  of  the  world, 
and  when  it  has  lost  its  charms  you  give  the  leavings  to 
God.  What  do  you  think  God  can  do  with  such  refuse?  '^ 
It  was  enough  to  drive  him  to  despair,  for  what  answer  could 
he  make?  The  case  was  plainly  against  him.  You,  my  dear 
young  people,  began  long  ago  to  serve  God,  all  your  days  have 
been  spent  in  His  service;  if  sometimes  you  have  fallen  you 
have  begun  again.  St.  Thomas  says  that  "  They  who  have 
served  God  from  childhood  will  certainly  be  saved." 

When  evening  came  the  father  of  the  family  gave  orders 
that  each  one  should  receive  what  he  had  earned,  the  last  as 
well  as  the  first.  And  what  reward,  did  the  last  get?  They 
received  as  much  as  those  who  had  worked  since  earlies, 
morning.  But  why  were  all  paid  equally?  Because  the  last 
were  full  of  fervor  and  zeal,  and  had  the  good  intention  of 
laboring  faithfully.  God,  you  see,  not  only  pays  for  our  work 
but  also  for  our  intention.  Have  the  intention  to  do  great 
things  for  God,  and  even  though  you  do  not  perform  them 
they  will  be  placed  to  your  credit.  In  the  morning  say  your 
prayers  and  at  the  same  time  wish  that  you  could  pray  al- 
ways; hear  Mass  with  the  feeling  that  you  would  like  to  hear 
all  the  Masses  that  are  celebrated  all  over  the  world;  go  to 
communion  occasionally,  wishing  that  you  could  receive  Jesus 


Sejptuagesinia  Sunday.  77 

every  day.  Study  to  bring  back  wayward  youths  by  your 
words  and  good  example,  praying  that  almighty  God  may 
extend  the  favor  of  His  graces  to  all  that  have  gone  astray. 
Suffer  patiently  for  God's  sake  the  little  injuries  that  one 
meets  with  in  every-day  life,  with  the  resolution  of  enduring 
any  injuries,  fatigues,  or  labors  that  God  may  be  pleased  to 
send  you.  Would  you  not  become  very  rich  in  merit  if  you 
lived  in  this  manner?  God,  on  the  Last  Day,  will  call  His 
faithful  servants  to  sit  on  His  own  throne  and  will  fill  them 
with  great  joy.  If  you  think  of  this,  how  careful  you  will 
be  to  remain  faithful  to  God  and  endeavor  to  merit  more. 
The  trouble  with  all  of  us  in  this  world  is,  that  we  forget  that 
heaven  is  to  be  the  reward  of  our  good  actions.  My  young 
people,  raise  your  eyes  to  heaven.  Do  much  good,  lead  holy 
lives^  and  make  all  efforts  to  gain  the  pleasure  of  paradise. 

In  the  time  of  St.  Augustine  there  lived  in  Eome  a  lady 
named  Melania.  One  day  she  began  to  think  seriously  of  her 
salvation;  moved  by  this  thought,  she  gave  up  all  the  gaye- 
ties  of  the  world,  and  began  to  mortify  herself  so  much  that 
in  a  short  time  she  became  greatly  emaciated;  her  uncle,  a 
man  without  much  conscience,  had  not  been  at  'home  when 
she  was  converted,  and  when  he  saw  her  face  colorless  and 
reduced  in  flesh,  he  cried  out,  ''  Is  this  the  !handsome  lady 
Melania?  "  She  gave  him  this  beautiful  answer:  "  The  love 
of  heaven  has  done  this.''  The  words  were  spoken  with  such 
fervor  and  conviction  that  he  was  converted,  though  the  elo- 
quent sermons  of  St.  Augustine  had  never  made  any  im- 
pression on  him.  My  dear  young  people,  no  longer  hesitate 
to  make  the  good  resolution  to  gain  heaven  at  any  cost;  omit 
nothing  that  will  conduce  to  that  end;  do  not  believe  your- 
self secure  until  you  are  in  heaven,  for  Our  Lord  concludes 
His  Gospel  by  saying:  ^'  Many  are  called  but  few  are  chosen." 
■  -  Be  not  terrified  or  disheartened  by  these  words,  for  those  only 
[  I  will  lose  heaven  who  neglect  the  things  that  would  bring 
.;.  them  there.  Pray  then  a  great  deal,  go  to  confession  often, 
receive  communion  frequently,  avoid  mortal  sin,  'hate  even 
venial  sins,  and  you  will  surely  go  to  heaven. 


78  Seed  of  the  Word  of  God  that  Falls  hy  the  Wayside. 


SEXAGESIMA   SUNDAY. 

Gospel.  Luke  viii.  4-15.  At  that  time:  When  a  very  great  multi- 
tude was  gathered  together  and  hastened  out  of  the  cities  unto  him, 
he  spoke  by  a  similitude:  The  sower  went  out  to  sow  his  seed:  and 
as  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the  wayside  and  was  trodden  down,  and  the 
fowls  of  the  air  devoured  it.  And  other  some  fell  upon  a  rock:  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  sprung  up,  it  withered  away,  because  it  had  no 
moisture.  And  other  some  fell  among  thorns,  and  the  thorns  growing 
up  with  it,  choked  it.  And  other  some  fell  upon  good  ground:  and 
being  sprung  up,  yielded  fruit  a  hundred  fold.  Saying  these  things,  he 
cried  out:  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.  And  his  disciples 
asked  him  what  this  parable  might  be.  To  whom  he  said:  To  you 
it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  to  the 
rest  in  parables,  that  seeing  they  may  not  see,  and  hearing  may  not 
understand.  Now  the  parable  is  this:  The  seed  is  the  word  of  God. 
And  they  by  the  wayside,  are  they  that  hear:  then  the  devil  cometh, 
and  taketh  the  word  out  of  their  heart,  lest  believing  they  should 
be  saved.  Now  they  upon  the  rock,  are  they  who  when  they  hear, 
receive  the  word  with  joy:  and  these  have  no  roots:  for  they  believe 
for  a  while,  and  in  time  of  temptation,  they  fall  away.  And  that 
which  fell  among  thorns,  are  they  who  have  heard,  and  going  their 
way,  are  choked  with  the  cares  and  riches  and  pleasures  of  this 
life,  and  yield  no  fruit.  But  that  on  the  good  ground :  are  they  who 
in  a  good  and  very  good  heart,  hearing  the  word,  keep  it,  and  bring 
forth  fruit  in  patience. 

THE  SEED  OF  THE  WOKD  OF  GOD  THAT  FALLS  BY  THE  WAYSIDE, 
ON  THE  EOCKS,  AMONG  THORNS,  OR  UPON  GOOD  GROUND. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  explain  this  Gospel,  for  Our  Lord 
Himself  gave  the  explanation  of  it  by  His  own  mouth.  Let 
me  ask  you  what  kind  of  hearts  you  possess,  what  good  do 
you  derive  from  the  frequent  hearing  of  the  word  of  God? 
Let  me  ask  you  if  the  ground  is  hard  and  trodden  down 
where  the  seed  falls;  is  it  at  once  carried  away  by  the  devil, 
or  is  it  rocky  soil  where  it  cannot  take  root?  You  hear  the 
word  of  God,  but  does  it  grow  up  within  you?  Do  you  be- 
come more  pious,  more  attentive,  and  reverent  in   God's 


Sexagesima  Sunday,  79 

house?  Yon  hear  the  word  of  God,  but  do  you  observe  the 
feasts  of  the  Church  with  more  devotion;  do  you  go  more 
frequently  to  the  sacraments?  You  hear  the  word  of  God, 
but  do  you  avoid  bad  companions,  who  lead  you  into  sin? 
You  hear  the  word  of  God,  but  do  you  give  good  example  to 
your  companions;  or  are  you  not,  by  your  bad  deeds  and 
your  wicked  words,  a  rock  of  scandal  to  those  who  come  near 
you?  Too  often  it  happens  that  those  who  have  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  good  advice  and  example  are  still  wicked  them- 
selves and  make  others  so.  This  is  a  great  source  of  sorrow  to 
the  priest  who  sows  the  seed  of  God  with  such  assiduity, 
with  much  labor  and  solicitude.  "  Give  an  occasion  to  a 
wise  man,  and  wisdom  shall  be  added  to  him.  Teach  a  just 
man,  and  he  shall  make  haste  to  receive  it."  But  it  is  not 
so  with  the  bad,  who  wish  to  continue  in  their  evil  ways;  you 
may  preach  to  them  in  vain,  you  may  pray  for  them  with 
many  groans  and  tears;  all  is  useless.  You  may  represent 
to  them  the  enormity  of  their  sins,  tbe  scandal  they  are  giv- 
ing, and  the  imminent  danger  of  eternal  perdition  in  which 
they  live,  but  all  is  in  vain.  You  will  not  be  able  to  make 
them  say  their  prayers  morning  and  night,  they  will  not  go 
to  confession,  they  will  not  even  say  a  Hail  Mary  in  the  day. 
If  you  tell  them  they  should  pray  in  temptation,  that  they 
should  call  on  Jesus  and  Mary,  they  only  laugh  at  you. 
Heavenly  wisdom  will  not  enter  a  wicked  soul,  the  hearts  of 
such  become  harder  and  more  obstinate,  they  are  disgusted 
with  the  word  of  God.  Is  the  number  of  these  few,  do  you 
think?  No,  indeed.  Go  to  church  on  Sundays  and  holy  days; 
you  will  see  that  what  I  say  is  true.  The  streets,  the  public 
places,  the  saloons,  are  full  of  people,  but  few  are  found  in 
the  churches.  This  is  the  greatest  punishment  that  God  can 
send  us,  to  let  us  go  on  in  this  disgust  of  His  holy  word.  You 
should  not  belong  to  this  class.  You  have  religious  training 
enough  to  know  better.  Do  not  imitate  so  many  who  never 
give  themselves  time  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  though  they 
have  time  enough  to  go  to  bad  places  and  to  immoral  plays 


80    Seed  of  the  Word  of  God  that  Falls  ly  tJte  Wayside. 

where  the  soul  is  ruined.  Never  do  the  like;  remember  that 
those  who  do  not  like  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  have  already 
the  mark  of  damnation  on  their  foreheads.  Listen  then 
gladly,  for  it  will  be  your  salvation.  St.  Bernard  says  that 
there  is  no  surer  sign  of  eternal  damnation  than  to  despise 
the  word  of  God.  Yes,  my  good  young  people,  put  aside  all 
fear  of  hell  provided  you  keep  in  your  hearts  the  love  of  the 
word  of  God. 

Here  is  a  beautiful  example  of  the  holy  virgin  Scholastica 
which  is  found  in  the  breviary.  This  holy  virgin  conse- 
crated herself  to  God  from  her  earliest  childhood.  Nothing 
delighted  her  more  than  to  hear  of  God,  or  to  speak  of  Him 
to  others.  At  one  time,  as  was  her  custom  every  year,  she 
went  to  visit  her  saintly  brother  Benedict,  who  came  out  of 
his  monastery  to  meet  her,  for  w.omen  were  not  allowed 
within  the  men's  cloister.  They  had  their  supper  together 
in  the  evening,  after  having  passed  the  day  in  conversation 
about  God.  When  Scholastica  saw  that  the  hour  was  getting 
late,  she  said  to  her  brother:  "  You  might  do  me  the  favor 
of  staying  with  me  overnight,  that  we  may  talk  of  the  good- 
ness of  God,  for  it  is  now  a  late  hour."  He  answered,  "I 
cannot  do  this,  my  sister;  it  is  not  allowed  for  a  monk  to  re- 
main outside  of  his  cell  during  the  night."  When  Scholastica 
had  heard  this  she  was  grieved,  but  she  buried  her  face  in  her 
hands  and  began  to  pray.  All  at  once  a  terrible  storm  broke 
out,  with  thunder  and  lightning,  and  the  rain  fell  in  tor- 
rents. St.  Benedict  knew  that  his  sister  had  prayed  for  this. 
'^  What  have  you  done,  sister  dear?  You  have  prayed  to  keep 
me  out  of  the  monastery.  May  God  forgive  you."  The  holy 
virgin  with  a  bright  smile  answered:  "  I  asked  you  to  stay, 
but  you  would  not  listen;  I  asked  my  God,  and  no  sooner 
had  I  made  the  petition  than  He  listened  to  me.  The  sky, 
as  you  saw,  was  clear,  but  no  sooner  did  I  pray  than  the  storm 
broke  out."  St.  Benedict  was  obliged  to  remain  in  the  com- 
pany of  his  sister,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  night  in 
prayer  and  pious  reading.    In  the  morning  St.  Benedict  went 


Sexagesima  Sunda/y.  81 

bacJi  to  his  monastery  and  Scholastica  returned  to  her  home. 
Three  days  after,  the  holy  monk  raising  his  eyes,  saw  the 
spirit  of  his  sister  carried  to  heaven  by  the  angels  with  great 
joy  and  festive  song. 

Yon,  0  good  youth,  who  like  to  talk  of  G-od,  console  your- 
selves for  the  pretended  loss  of  much  pleasure  in  the  conver- 
sations of  the  world,  for  you  are  of  the  number  of  the  elect. 
They  who  are  of  God  hear  the  word  of  God. 

Let  me  beg  of  you,  since  it  is  in  your  power,  to  be  always 
the  good  soil  which  receives  gladly  the  seed  of  the  word  of 
God  and  so  yields  a  hundred-fold.  Let  us  not  grow  tired  in 
doing  good.  Many  young  people  indeed  begin  well;  they 
are  good,  obedient,  and  respectful  to  grown  people;  they 
have  faith;  they  love  the  Church  and  the  sacraments,  but 
when  they  grow  older  somehow  they  lose  their  piety.  "We 
find  them  in  bad  company,  idle,  beginning  to  drink, 
hangers-on  at  pool-rooms  and  gambling-places,  and  they 
avoid  going  to  church.  They  go  from  bad  to  worse  until  they 
are  ready  for  any  deed  of  wickedness. 

0,  indeed,  young  men,  if  you  did  well  you  would  have  joy 
in  this  life,  you  would  have  the  peace  of  God  about  you,  that 
peace  which  the  world  cannot  give,  that  peace  which  sur- 
passeth  all  understanding.  What  great  consolation  will  you 
feel  at  the  hour  of  death  when  you  shall  see  reserved  for 
your  glory  and  collected  for  your  benefit  all  the  good  you 
have  done  in  this  life!  The  wicked  will  go  to  their  graves 
with  great  show  and  pomp,  but  they  are  indeed  poor  before 
the  throne  of  God,  who  rejects  them,  and  sends  them  into 
exterior  darkness.  But  to  the  good  youth  He  will  say,  "  Well 
done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  into  the  joy  of 
the  Lord,"  and  then  He  will  show  him  his  beautiful  home 
where  he  is  to  reign  with  God  for  all  eternity. 


63  Prediction  of  Our  Lord  V  Passion, 


QUINQUAGESIMA   SUNDAY. 

Gospel.  Luke  xviii.  31-43.  At  that  time:  Jesus  took  unto  him 
the  twelve,  and  said  to  them:  Behold  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all 
things  shall  be  accomplished  which  were  written  by  the  prophets  con- 
cerning the  Son  of  man;  for  he  shall  be  delivered  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  shall  be  mocked,  and  scourged,  and  spit  upon;  and  after  they 
have  scourged  him  they  will  put  him  to  death,  and  the  third  day 
he  shall  rise  again.  And  they  understood  none  of  these  things,  and 
this  word  was  hid  from  them,  and  they  understood  not  the  things  that 
were  said.  Now  it  came  to  pass  when  he  drew  nigh  to  Jericho,  that  a 
certain  blind  man  sat  by  the  wayside,  begging.  And  when  he  heard 
the  multitude  passing  by,  he  asked  what  this  meant.  And  they  told 
him  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  passing  by.  And  he  cried  out,  say- 
ing: Jesus,  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  they  that  went 
before,  rebuked  him,  that  he  should  hold  his  peace.  But  he  cried 
out  much  more:  Son  of  David  have  mercy  on  me.  And  Jesus  stand- 
ing commanded  him  to  be  brought  unto  him.  And  when  he  was  come 
near,  he  asked  him,  saying:  What  wilt  thou  that  I  do  to  thee?  But 
he  said:  Lord,  that  I  may  see.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Keceive  thy 
sight:  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.  And  immediately  he  saw, 
and  followed  him,  glorifying  God.  And  all  the  people,  when  they  saw 
it,  gave  praise  to  God. 

PREDICTION  OF  OUR  LORD's  PASSION — THE  CURE  OF  THE 
BLIND   MAN. 

In  this  Gospel  the  Church  teaches  us  something  of  the 
Passion  of  Our  Lord.  About  this  time  of  the  year  a  certain 
part  of  the  world  is  going  crazy  with  carnival;  people 
imagine  it  great  fun  when  they  put  on  masks,  dance,  and 
walk  about  in  processions.  But  the  Church  wishes  her  chil- 
dren to  think  of  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord,  and  on  these  days 
she  asks  them  to  be  more  zealous  and  fervent. 

Sin  is  the  cause  of  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord;  we  crucify 
Our  Lord  again  and  make  Him  an  object  of  mockery.  We 
have  not  the  same  customs  here  that  exist  in  Europe  at  car- 
nival time,  but  by  degrees  they  are  creeping  in  here,  too; 


Quinquagesima  Sunday,  83 

let  us  consider  the  great  damage  it  does  to  the  young  people 
of  those  countries,  and  draw  from  it  a  lesson  which  will  be 
very  useful  to  ns.  We  can  also  judge  from  it  what  would  be 
the  consequence  of  following  similar  indulgences  at  any 
time  of  the  year.  These  applications  can  be  made  to  our 
picnics,  moonlight  excursions,  and  dances.  On  the  approach, 
of  the  carnival  the  Church  redoubles  her  prayers,  and  puts 
on  the  garb  of  penance,  because  so  many  sins  are  committed; 
for  this  reason,  too,  the  saints  of  the  Church,  the  friends  of 
God,  do  more  penance  that  God  may  be  kind  to  the  people 
who  are  indulging  in  these  excesses.  St.  Francis  de  Sales 
used  to  call  the  carnival  days  hours  of  pain  and  grief  to  the 
Church.  What  disorders,  dissoluteness,  unlawful  relaxations 
are  committed  in  those  days!  St.  Vincent  Ferrer  used  to 
think  of  the  approach  of  those  days  with  horror,  for,  with 
unbounded  license,  people  would  commit  sin  after  sin  with- 
out giving  themselves  time  to  think.  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna 
was  accustomed  to  cry  out  with  groans,  '^  Oh,  what  an  un- 
happy time!  what  a  diabolical  time!"  Day  and  night  she 
would  invoke  Our  Lord.  When  the  carnival  is  open  you  may 
well  say  that  heaven  is  closed.  The  reprehensible  things 
about  the  carnival  are  things  that  are  considered  dangerous 
at  all  times,  such  as  masquerade  balls  and  theatres.  St.  John 
Chrysostom  considered  the  theatre  the  worst  place,  where 
the  vilest  spiritual  diseases  may  be  contracted.  St.  Augus- 
tine called  the  theatre  of  his  day  the  pomp  of  Satan.  St. 
Cyprian  speaking  of  it  says  it  is  the  innovation  of  the  devil; 
apply  all  this  to  picnics  and  balls  too.  Now,  my  good  young 
people,  whom  would  you  rather  believe;  would  you  rather 
believe  your  own  passions  that  drag  you  into  considering 
these  things  small  matters;  would  you  rather  believe  our 
modern,  loose  Christians,  who  consider  the  theatre  the  school 
of  virtue?  Or  would  you  not  rather  believe  those  great  doc- 
tors whom  I  have  quoted,  who  studied  much,  and  who  were 
enlightened  by  almighty  God?  You  will  say  that  you  always 
criticise  the  title  of  a  play  before  you  go.    That  is  nonsense; 


84  Prediction  of  Ov/r  Lord'' s  Passion, 

you  know  that  the  name  of  a  play  does  not  give  a  clue  as  to 
whether  it  is  moral  or  not.  What  about  masquerade  balls? 
The  dance  is  one  of  the  greatest  occasions  of  evil,  especially 
for  young  people.  A  youth  that  loves  the  ball-room  will 
sooner  or  later  fall  into  grave  sin.  "  He  who  jokes  with  the 
devil,"  says  St.  Peter  Chrysologus,  '*^  cannot  reign  with 
Christ."  St.  John  Chrysostom  declared  vehemently  against 
dancing;  he  says  it  is  the  innovation  of  the  devil,  and  those 
who  engage  in  it  cannot  escape  the  snares  of  the  devil.  All 
the  saints  have  said  -^he  same  thing. 

During  these  days  of  the  carnival,  especially,  let  us  not 
form  part  of  the  world  that  has  gone  crazy,  we  may  say. 
There  is  no  objection  to  modest  recreation  nor  to  simple  en- 
joyments. Endeavor  to  compensate  Our  Lord  Jesus  for  so 
many  sins  committed  during  this  time.  With  great  love, 
visit  a  church  where  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  exposed,  pray, 
and  receive  from  Him  spiritual  joy  of  which  the  world  knows 
nothing.  In  this  way  you  will  not  put  your  salvation  in 
jeopardy  nor  will  you,  as  often  happens,  ruin  the  health  of 
the  body,  as  is  frequently  the  case.  I  myself  have  seen  on  the 
last  days  of  the  carnival  a  funeral  procession,  and  on  asking 
for  whom  such  display  was  made,  was  told  that  it  was  the 
funeral  of  a  youth  of  sixteen  years.  A  few  days  previously 
he  had  taken  part  in  the  carnival  procession;  he  had  gone  to 
the  theatre  and  to  a  masked  ball.  Here  he  had  become  over- 
heated, caught  cold,  contracted  pneumonia,  and  in  a  few  days 
died.  Had  he  obeyed  his  parents,  had  he  been  reasonable  in 
his  enjoyments,  he  might  have  saved  his  life. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  Gospel;  while  Jesus  was  in  the 
vicinity  of  Jericho,  a  poor  blind  man  who  sat  by  the  wayside 
begging,  hearing  the  approach  of  a  great  crowd,  asked  what 
this  might  be.  They  told  him  that  the  Great  Prophet,  the 
Son  of  David,  was  passing  by.  Then  he  raised  his  voice  as 
high  as  he  could,  and  cried  out,  ^^  Jesus,  Son  of  David,  have 
mercy  on  me."  Can  you  not  easily  see  in  this  poor  blind  man 
the  figure  of  a  poor  sinner?    How  terrible  is  the  blindness  of 


Quinquagesima  Sunday.  85 

sinners!  They  know  that  by  sinning  they  lose  God,  that  God 
who  created  them  and  redeemed  them;  they  know  that  they 
have  lost  the  right  to  heaven;  they  sin  frequently  and 
without  any  remorse.  What  blindness  thus  to  insult  al- 
mighty God,  in  whose  presence  they  commit  these  sins; 
that  God  who  could  annihilate  them  or  could  at  any  moment 
precipitate  them  into  the  flames  of  hell!  Sometimes,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  the  blind  sinners  open  their  eyes  to  the  real 
state  of  their  souls;  they  see  their  misery  and  their  danger, 
and  return  to  God  while  it  is  yet  time,  and  break  the  chains 
that  hold  them  bound  to  the  servitude  of  the  devil.  Then 
they  ask  themselves:  Who  is  this  Jesus  who  is  passing  by? 
The  truth  will  suddenly  shine  on  their  souls.  This  is  the 
Saviour  of  souls,  the  healer  of  the  blind  and  of  all  diseases, 
especially  of  the  soul.  Then  in  earnest  they  will  raise  their 
voices  to  Our  Lord  and  cry  out  in  humility  and  compunction 
of  heart,  "Jesus,  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me."  But 
you  know  that  the  world  does  not  like  these  exhibitions  of 
piety,  the  fashionable  world  does  not  want  to  be  disturbed  by 
these  cries.  The  passions  so  natural  to  our  frailty  and  in- 
creased by  indulgence,  are  urged  on  by  the  devil,  who  gives  us 
occasions  of  sin.  Our  old  companions  who  continue  in  their 
evil  course  would  like  us  to  do  the  same;  these  lay  their  hands 
on  the  mouth  of  the  sinner  that  he  may  not  cry  out,  and  tell 
him  that  he  should  be  ashamed  to  make  such  an  outcry.  This 
is  the  inner  voice  that  we  feel;  the  voice  of  conscience  that 
admonishes  us  and  the  voice  of  the  body  that  speaks  of  en- 
joyments that  are  the  death  of  the  soul.  How  the  sinner 
hates  to  be  disturbed  by  these  contending  claims!  The  good 
voice  is  hated  by  the  sinner,  and  he  tries  to  silence  it.  Again 
he  shuts  his  eyes  and  listens  to  the  wicked  voice,  so  that  joy- 
ously and  carelessly  he  goes  on  sinning.  He  has  abused  once 
more  the  grace  of  the  voice  of  God  speaking  to  his  soul.  Sin- 
ners become  ashamed  of  having  ever  been  modest  and  pure 
in  word  and  action,  ashamed  of  ever  having  loved  God,  and 
ridicule  the  holy  maxims  of  the  Gospel.    What  blindness  and 


86  Prediction  of  Our  Lord  '5  Passion. 

perversity  this  is!  Should  any  of  my  hearers  be  of  the  num- 
ber of  those  who  have  been  blind,  let  them  arouse  themselves 
by  prayer,  and  then  the  grace  of  light  will  also  come  to  them. 
How  tearfully  and  sadly  St.  Augustine  describes  these  dread- 
ful days  of  his  own  blindness,  "  I  went  from  one  disorder  to 
another,  from  one  precipice  to  another,  like  one  that  was 
blind." 

When  Jesus  heard  His  name  called  in  that  strong  way.  He 
stopped,  and  gave  orders  that  they  should  bring  the  poor 
man  to  Him.  '^  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  for  thee?  " 
asked  Our  Lord  with  the  most  loving  condescension.  "  Ah, 
Lord,  you  see  what  I  need.  I  am  a  miserable  blind  man,  give 
me  the  light  of  my  eyes."  What  a  beautiful  prayer,  how 
short,  how  affectionate  it  was,  what  great  good  it  accom- 
plished. Tliis  same  petition  we  too  should  continually  make. 
^^  Lord,  that  I  may  see."  This  spiritual  blindness,  ignorance, 
and  darkness  must  be  removed;  we  must  be  able  to  see 
clearly.  Give  me  intelligence,  that  I  may  know  things 
rightly,  that  I  may  from  my  earliest  days  know  the  wicked- 
ness of  sin,  for  now  in  my  blindness  it  looks  so  attractive 
and  so  beautiful.  Lord,  make  me  see  the  great  danger  there 
is  in  the  world,  that  I  may  be  on  my  guard  and  not  fall  a 
willing  prey  to  the  wiles  of  Satan.  Lord,  let  me  know  what 
company  I  must  avoid,  let  me  see  the  foolishness  of  thinking 
much  of  riches,  excepting  in  so  far  as  I  may  be  able  to  use 
them  for  the  good  of  others.  It  is  vanity  to  indulge  the  ap- 
petites of  the  flesh  and  to  desire  that  which,  if  consented  to, 
will  bring  upon  me  great  punishment.  Let  me,  0  Lord,  see 
the  vanity  of  wishing  for  a  long  life;  give  me  the  grace  to 
be  contented  with  a  short  one  and  so  to  labor  during  it  that 
I  may  enjoy  the  heavenly  sight  of  paradise. 

The  good  Lord  answered  the  prayer  of  the  blind  man,  say- 
ing, "  Thy  faith  has  cured  thee,"  and  immediately  the  eyes 
of  the  blind  man  received  their  sight.  Filled  with  joy  he 
followed  Our  Lord,  giving  Him  praise,  and  all  the  people 
who  saw  the  great  miracle  also  gave  praise  to  God.    See,  my 


First  Sunday  of  Lent,  87 

young  people,  what  grateful  recognition  you  owe  to  almighty 
God  for  the  corporal  and  spiritual  light  of  your  body  and 
soul.  How  often  has  God  given  the  power  of  vision  to  your 
soul!  You  certainly  remember  the  darkness  in  which  your 
soul  was  cast  when  you  fell  into  mortal  sin.  Bodily  blind- 
ness may  bring  some  good  to  the  soul,  for  then  we  cannot  see 
the  dangerous  occasions  which  might  lead  us  into  sin;  the 
alluring  aspect  of  the  objects  of  our  passions  cannot  be  seen 
by  us,  and  hence  cannot  excite  our  imagination;  but  the 
blindness  of  the  soul  gives  the  devil  power  over  us.  As  soon 
as  God  enlightened  your  soul  you  saw  the  dangerous  situation 
in  which  you  were.  He  stretched  out  His  hands  to  raise  you 
up,  and  what  appeared  to  you  so  beautiful  and  attractive 
now  looked  so  hideous  that  you  were  terrified,  and  willingly 
fled  from  it.  What  a  great  grace  this  was  to  you!  He  made 
you  know  what  was  good,  and  gave  you  grace  to  love  it. 
Thank  almighty  God  for  these  spiritual  gifts,  praise  Him  for 
being  so  good  to  you.  We  cannot  sufficiently  appreciate  what 
God  has  done  for  us  in  giving  understanding  and  light  to  our 
soul;  but  we  will  know  it  when,  after  witnessing  the  damna- 
tion of  many  souls,  we  will  at  last  find  ourselves  in  heaven. 

FIRST   SUNDAY   OF   LENT. 

Gospel.  Matt.  iv.  1-11.  At  that  time:  Jesus  was  led  by  the 
spirit  into  the  desert,  to  be  tempted  by  the  devil.  And  when  he 
had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  afterwards  he  was  hungry. 
And  the  tempter  coming,  said  to  him:  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God, 
command  that  these  stones  be  made  bread.  Who  answered  and  said: 
It  is  written,  Not  in  bread  alone  doth  man  live,  but  in  every  word 
that  proceedeth  from  the  mouth  of  God.  Then  the  devil  took  him  up 
into  the  holy  city,  and  set  him  upon  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and 
said  to  him:  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  cast  thyself  down:  for  it 
is  written:  That  he  hath  given  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  and  in 
their  hands  shall  they  bear  thee  up,  lest  perhaps  thou  dash  thy  foot 
against  a  stone.  Jesus  said  to  him:  It  is  written  again:  Thou  shalt 
not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God.  Again  the  devil  took  him  up  into  a 
very  high  mountain:    and  showed  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world. 


88  The  Forty  Days'  Fast  of  Our  Lord. 

and  the  glory  of  them,  and  said  to  him:  All  these  will  I  give  thee, 
if  falling  down  thou  wilt  adore  me.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  him:  Be- 
gone, Satan:  for  it  is  written:  The  Lord  thy  God  shalt  thou  adore, 
and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  Then  the  devil  left  him:  and  behold 
angels  came  and  ministered  to  him. 

THE  FOETY  DAYS'  FAST  OF  OUR  LOED. 

When  reading'  this  da/s  Gospel,  what  person  is  there  that 
is  not  astonished  at  our  dear  Lord  who,  by  a  rigorous  and 
continued  fast  of  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  condescended 
to  show  us  how  to  mortify  the  flesh.  He  was  the  flower  of 
innocence,  the  lily  of  the  valley,  the  lamb  without  stain. 
Why  did  He  wish  to  undergo  this  fast?  To  give  us  an  ex- 
ample of  penance  and  mortiflcation.  We  are  now  beginning 
the  days  of  abstinence  and  of  fast,  called  Lent,  which  the 
holy  Church  enjoins.  Now,  my  good  young  people,  were  I 
preaching  to  older  persons,  who  are  bound  to  observe  the 
fast,  I  would  have  to  preach  on  the  unwillingness  of  many 
to  inconvenience  themselves  by  doing  anything  contrary  to 
the  demands  of  their  appetites.  They  have  no  reason  for  not 
obeying  the  law,  and  still  they  find  many  excuses  for  evading 
it.  But,  speaking  to  you,  my  dear  young  people,  who  are  not 
yet  obliged  to  fast,  I  must  insist  that  these  are  days  of  public 
penance  and  that  you  also  are  obliged  to  do  something,  how- 
ever little,  something  of  mortification  and  penance,  in  order 
to  prepare  for  ihe  great  feast  of  Easter.  When  in  the  time 
of  the  Jews  the  prophets  announced  a  fast,  not  only  were 
those  of  mature  age  included  in  it  but  the  young,  even  the 
infants  and  the  domestic  animals.  But,  you  will  ask.  What 
penances  are  we  to  do?  Are  we  to  fast,  to  take  the  discipline, 
and  put  on  sackcloth?  It  might  be  advisable  to  counsel  these 
rigors  to  many  a  youth  whose  conscience  is  marked  by  the 
ravages  of  sin.  St.  Paul  tells  us,  "  As  you  have  yielded  your 
members  to  serve  uncleanness  and  iniquity  unto  iniquity, 
so  now  yield  your  members  to  serve  justice  unto  sanctifica- 
tion.''    St.  Ambrose  wrote  to  a  poor  girl  that  had  fallen  into 


First  Sunday  of  Lent,  89 

sin,  '^  There  is  no  other  remedy  for  yon  except  penance;  in- 
flict punishment  on  your  body,  tame  it  by  fasting,  cover  it 
with  ashes  and  groan  under  the  hair  shirt/' 

My  good  young  people,  I  cannot  be  hard  on  you.  I  would 
rather  be  indulgent,  because  I  think  you  have  not  stained 
your  souls  with  great  crimes;  I  do  not  enjoin  a  strict  fast 
on  you,  only  I  pray  you  do  not  lose  sight  in  these  days  of 
Lent,  of  the  fact  that  you  owe  to  the  call  of  the  Church  some 
little  mortification.  Would  it  not  be  an  easy  and  at  the  same 
time  a  most  grateful  sacrifice  if  you  ate  only  at  your  meals? 
Could  you  not  at  breakfast  take  merely  a  piece  of  bread  and 
a  cup  of  coffee  or  milk?  Could  you  not  sometimes  refuse  a 
drink  that  you  like  very  much?  It  is  certain  that  the  morti- 
fication of  the  palate  is  a  most  powerful  means  to  enable  us 
to  restrain  our  passions.  A  horse  that  is  not  obedient  to  the 
bridle  has  to  be  subdued  by  other  means,  sometimes  much 
more  severe;  so  it  is  with  the  soul  and  body.  If  the  body 
will  not  obey  the  law  of  God,  and  will  even  drag  the  soul 
down  after  unlawful  pleasures,  severe  means  must  be  used 
to  bring  it  under  submission.  All  the  saints  have  performed 
works  of  penance,  and  the  practice  of  mortification  was  one 
of  the  most  profitable  used  in  subjugating  the  body.  Then 
these  little  abstinences  gives  us  health  and  prolong  our  lives. 
It  stands  to  reason  that  we  must  not  give  the  body  all  that  it 
craves.  Even  in  olden  times  the  Romans  knew  this,  and 
pagan  moralists  have  shown  us  that  to  be  healthy  a  simple 
and  rigorous  diet  is  the  very  best.  The  appetites  of  the  body 
are  curious,  and  make  very  extravagant  demands  on  us.  See 
the  drunkard,  how  his  thirst  cannot  be  satisfied  except  by 
copious  draughts  of  spirituous  liquors.  The  drunkard's  life 
affords  us  sufficient  proof  of  the  unhappiness  of  unbridled 
appetites.  Unless  you  mortify  the  flesh,  it  will  become  un- 
manageable, will  lead  you  into  terrible  sin,  and  then  to 
eternal  damnation.  When  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  lay  on  his 
death-bed,  seeing  his  body  nothing  but  bones,  he  said,  "  My 
body,  do  you  see  now  that  I  loved  you  well,  and  did  well  in 


90  The  Forty  Bays'  Fast  of  Our  Lord, 

treating  you  harshly?  Now  our  penances  are  over;  there  are 
no  more  fasts,  and  you  will  see  in  a  short  time  what  a  reward 
it  has  brought  you." 

Having  now  spoken  to  you  of  fasting,  let  me  speak  of  those 
who  eat  meat  without  being  restrained  in  any  way  by  the  law 
of  the  Church.  Such  Catholics,  though  they  retain  the 
name,  might  better  leave  the  ranks  of  the  children  of  the 
Church;  they  would  then,  at  least,  not  give  scandal  to 
others.  Be  faithful  to  the  laws  of  the  Church;  the  very  care 
you  take  not  to  eat  meat  on  forbidden  days  is  in  itself  a  fast. 
You  will  say  there  is  not  much  in  eating  a  piece  of  meat,  but 
let  us  take  an  example  related  in  the  book  of  Machabees. 
Eleazar  was  an  old  man,  who  practised  the  Jewish  law;  by 
an  edict  of  the  king  he  was  to  eat  pork,  which  was  forbidden 
by  the  law  of  Moses.  He  was  to  suffer  death  unless  he  com- 
plied with  it,  but  the  grand  old  man  was  firm,  and  would 
rather  undergo  any  torture  than  yield  to  the  demand.  Some 
of  his  friends  who  stood  about  advised  him  to  make  believe 
he  had  eaten,  which  would  have  satisfied  the  cruel  king,  but 
the  old  man  absolutely  refused;  he  would  rather  suffer  the 
penalty  than  give  such  an  example  to  the  young.  Having  de- 
clared his  unchangeable  intention,  he  was  at  last  dragged  to 
death. 

But  to  return  to  the  Gospel.  The  devil  saw  that  Our  Lord 
was  weak  from  His  long  fast,  and  assuming  a  visible  human 
form  he  presented  himself  before  Jesus,  and  said:  "  If  Thou 
be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  be  made 
bread.  You  can  certainly  do  this,  for  God  will  hear  you  and 
you  will  then  have  enough  for  all  your  necessities."  Listen 
to  the  answer  of  Our  Lord,  "  It  is  written,  not  in  bread  alone 
doth  man  live,  but  in  every  word  that  proceedeth  from  the 
mouth  of  God."  He  wished  us  to  understand  that  it  is  not 
so  much  the  food  of  the  body  that  we  should  be  solicitous 
about,  but  rather  the  spiritual  help  we  find  in  the  word  of 
God.  How  many  are  there  who  think  daily  and  hourly  of 
the  food  of  the  body,  while  the  word  of  God  is  never  consid- 


First  Sunday  of  Lent,  91 

ered.  Think  of  the  smartness  of  the  devil;  how  he  puts  on 
the  outward  appearance  of  fairness  and  fitness.  He  does  not 
advise  that  the  bread  should  be  stolen,  or  even  earned  by  hon- 
est labor,  but  counsels  that  the  bread  should  be  got  by  a 
miracle  and  by  prayer.  Does  not  the  devil  often  appear  to 
us  under  the  same  garb?  He  does  not  advise  a  young  lad  to 
become  a  great  thief  at  once,  for  he  might  be  frightened  at 
that,  but  he  might  take  a  few  pennies  or  dimes  that  can  be 
abstracted  without  discovery.  This  is  such  a  small  matter 
that  it  would  be  unbearable  scrupulosity  to  mind  it.  He  be- 
gins with  little  things,  until  you  are  hardened  to  these  petty 
thefts,  and  he  ends  by  giving  you  courage  to  commit  a  rob- 
bery. Behold,  he  has  succeeded  in  making  you  a  full-fledged 
thief!  The  devil  will  not  tempt  you  to  say  bad  words,  nor  to 
enter  into  bad  conversation,  but  he  will  put  into  your  mouth 
words  of  double  meaning;  he  will  introduce  you  to  compan- 
ions who  are  not  exactly  bad,  for  in  that  case  you  might  be 
shocked  and  keep  away  from  them,  but  to  one  who  is  on  the 
way  of  being  spoiled;  he  and  you  join  your  inclinations,  and 
soon  end  in  doing  mischief;  you  may  begin  by  disliking  your 
confessor,  so  that  you  go  to  confession  less  frequently;  the 
devil  will  furnish  you  with  many  excuses  for  omitting  your 
prayers  or  for  saying  them  hurriedly  until  he  at  last  brings 
you  to  the  point  when  you  do  not  pray  at  all.  Such  are  the 
artifices  of  Satan,  and  you  know  from  experience  in  your  own 
case  and  observation  of  others  how  often  he  succeeds. 

The  devil,  though  struck  with  the  answer  he  received  from 
Our  Lord,  did  not  desist.  He  took  Him  up  to  the  roof  of  the 
Temple  and  placing  Him  on  the  pinnacle  said,  '^  If  Thou  be 
the  Son  of  God  cast  Thyself  down,  for  it  is  written:  that  He 
hath  given  His  angels  charge  over  Thee  and  in  their  hands 
shall  they  bear  Thee  up,  lest  perhaps  Thou  dash  Thy  foot 
against  a  stone."  Our  Lord  answered,  ^^  It  is  written  thou 
shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God."  Not  only  did  Jesus  wish 
to  reprimand  the  devil  in  this  answer,  but  He  had  us  also  in 
His  mind  when  He  said  these  words.    We  should  not  expose 


92  The  Forty  Days'  Fast  of  Our  Lord. 

ourselves  to  the  danger  of  falling  into  sin,  expecting  that 
God  would  draw  us  out  unhurt.  We  must  therefore  avoid 
the  occasions  of  sin,  for  in  the  book  of  Ecclesiasticus  we  read, 
"  He  that  loveth  danger  shall  perish  in  it."  It  will  not  be  an 
excuse  to  say,  "  I  will  be  on  my  guard,  I  will  be  careful  and 
watchful  not  to  fall  into  sin."  Eemember  that  if  you  place 
yourself  in  danger,  you  may  say  that  you  have  already  fallen. 
St.  Bernard  very  strongly  says,  "  It  is  a  greater  miracle  when 
in  voluntary  occasion  of  sin  not  to  fall  than  to  raise  the 
dead  to  life."  God  has  not  promised  us  the  help  of  angels 
under  all  circumstances.  He  has  not  promised  us  help  when 
we  place  ourselves  on  the  edge  of  a  precipice.  It  is  true  the 
angels  will  go  with  us  until  we  come  to  the  very  occasion  of 
sin,  but  then  they  veil  their  faces  with  their  wings,  and  are 
sorry  for  the  folly  which  is  going  to  lead  us  into  ruin.  The 
devil  must  have  been  ashamed  of  the  failure  of  his  second 
effort,  but  even  then  he  did  not  stop;  again  he  took  Our  Lord 
and  placed  Him  on  a  very  high  mountain,  where  all  the  ex- 
panse of  this  glorious  world  could  be  seen,  where  the  beauti- 
ful palaces  shone  forth  from  the  wooded  hills,  where  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  could  be  observed.  Showing  Him 
these,  the  Evil  One  said:  '^  All  these  will  I  give  Thee,  if  fall- 
ing down  Thou  wilt  adore  me."  The  devil  has  reached  the 
very  depth  of  degradation;  he  did  not  propose  this  act  of 
idolatry  at  once,  but  came  to  it  by  degrees,  never  running 
away,  never  abashed  or  frightened  till  he  reached  this  point. 
Christ  then  rose  in  His  anger  and  drove  the  devil  from  Him, 
repeating  the  divine  precept,  *^  The  Lord  thy  God  shalt  thou 
adore,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve."  Driven  off  by  the 
divine  power  the  devil  left  Our  Saviour,  and  angels  came 
and  ministered  unto  Him. 

Often  has  the  devil  made  to  you  the  same  proposition,  "  All 
these  things  will  I  give  you,  if  you  will  fall  down  and  adore 
me."  What  beautiful  things  does  not  Satan  suggest,  if  you 
will  surrender  yourself  to  his  service;  honors,  pleasures, 
riches,  liberty,  and  happiness,  he  brings  before  your  mind, 


Second  Sunday  of  Lent,  93 

and  he  promises  them  to  you  just  for  that  little  act  of  adora- 
tion. But  are  these  his  to  give?  He  lies,  for  he  is  the 
father  of  lies.  We  are  sometimes  deceived  by  these  promises, 
and  the  world  looks  as  if  it  really  belonged  to  the  devil.  The 
rich  who  are  not  good  enjoy  this  world;  the  poor  who  are 
God's  poor  have  to  suffer  want,  sickness,  and  privation.  The 
world  which  is  far  from  God  appears  to  be  happy,  for  it 
seems  to  have  all  the  good,  things;  while  the  children  of  God 
have  only  the  fear  of  God  and  many  temptations,  and  they 
have  to  avoid  sinful  pleasures.  No  wonder  the  youth  is  de- 
ceived and  dragged  away  into  the  slavery  of  Satan  with  the 
hope  of  obtaining  these  glorious  promises.  Eemember  the 
story  of  the  prodigal  son;  he,  too,  thought  the  devil  would 
give  him  worldly  pleasures  of  every  kind,  but  he  was  soon 
undeceived;  he  found  himself  in  misfortune,  and  begging 
for  the  husks  intended  for  the  swine;  not  even  this  was 
given  him.  Believe  not  the  devil  or  any  of  his  promises.  I 
have  resolved  to  serve  another  master,  my  good  God,  my 
Creator,  Him  only  will  I  adore;  and  He  can  and  will  make 
me  really  happy — if  not  in  this  world,  which  is  after  all  of 
short  duration,  at  least  for  all  eternity  with  His  angels  in 
paradise. 

SECOND  SUNDAY  OF  LENT. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xvii.  1-9.  At  that  time:  Jesus  taketh  unto  him 
Peter  and  James,  and  John  his  brother,  and  bringeth  them  up  into 
a  high  mountain  apart:  and  he  was  transfigured  before  them.  And  his 
face  did  shine  as  the  sun:  and  his  garments  became  white  as  snow. 
And  behold  there  appeared  to  them  Moses  and  Elias  talking  with 
him.  And  Peter  answering,  said  to  Jesus:  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us 
to  be  here:  if  thou  wilt,  let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles,  one  for 
thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias.  And  as  he  was  yet  speak- 
ing, behold  a  bright  cloud  overshaded  them.  And  lo  a  voice  out 
of  the  cloud,  saying:  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased:  hear  ye  him.  And  the  disciples  hearing,  fell  upon  their 
face:  and  were  very  much  afraid.  And  Jesus  came  and  touched  them: 
and  said  to  them;  Arise,  and  fear  not.     And  they  lifting  up  their 


94  The  Transfiguration  of  Our  Lord. 

eyes  saw  no  one,  but  only  Jesus.  And  as  they  came  down  from  the 
mountain,  Jesus  charged  them,  saying:  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man, 
till  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  from  the  dead. 


TKE  TBANSFIGURATION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

I  WANT  to  speak  to  you  to-day  of  heaven.  But  what  am  I 
to  say  of  that  blessed  place?  It  is  as  if  I  would  take  a  coal 
from  the  blazing  fire  and,  with  it  as  an  illustration,  should 
try  to  explain  to  you  the  glory  of  the  sun.  The  saints,  who 
we  may  say  had  a  foretaste  of  heaven,  would  cry  out,  "  0 
paradise!  0  paradise!"  and  could  say  no  more,  as  if  they 
were  wrapt  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight.  St.  Paul  tells  us  that  he 
saw  and  heard  things  that  no  tongue  could  tell,  nor  eye  ever 
contemplate,  in  fact  the  truth  of  the  reality  has  never  entered 
the  mind  of  a  human  being,  "what  God  has  prepared  for 
those  who  love  Him."  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna  was  admitted 
into  paradise;  in  an  ecstasy  she  told  Blessed  Eaymondo,  "  I 
have  seen  such  things  as  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  tell 
in  words,  and  if  I  could  describe  it  you  could  not  compre- 
hend it."  If  on  entering  a  palace  you  are  struck  with  its 
riches  and  beauty,  its  magnificent  corridors  hung  with  beauti- 
ful pictures,  its  grand  statues  and  furniture,  splendid  carpets 
and  rugs,  the  walls  covered  with  gold,  then  think  how  much 
more  magnificent  must  be  the  house  of  the  King  of  kings,  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth.  St.  Fulgentius  at  one  time  saw 
the  grandeur  of  the  city  of  Eome,  when  it  was  illuminated  for 
a  great  feast;  his  mind  turned  to  the  beauties  of  paradise  and 
he  said,  "  How  beautiful  must  be  the  celestial  Jerusalem,  if 
Eome  is  so  magnificent!"  If  in  this  world  so  much  honor 
is  given  to  those  who  love  its  vanities,  how  much  more  honor 
and  glory  will  not  God  give  to  those  who  deserve  it  after  a 
good  life?  A  palace  of  this  world,  when  compared  to  the 
celestial  dwelling  of  the  just,  would  be  no  more  than  the 
dingy,  smoky  hut  of  a  savage:  the  most  picturesque  garden, 
compared  to  the  garden  of  heaven,  would  be  like  a  disma] 


Second  Sundcmj  of  Lent,  95 

desert.  According  to  the  Apocalypse  gold  is  as  plentiful  in 
heaven  as  dust  on  this  earth,  the  streets  are  of  the  purest 
gold.  St.  John  in  describing  the  city  of  heaven  tells  us 
that  it  is  a  square,  having  twelve  gates  of  the  most  precious 
stones.  Jeremias,  the  prophet,  tells  us  that  he  could  not  de- 
scribe the  immensity  of  this  city,  its  towers  and  walls  built  of 
transparent  crystals.  Isaias  calls  it  a  city  of  pleasure.  Bet- 
ter is  a  day  here  than  thousands  in  the  habitations  of  this 
world. 

When  you  arrive  in  this  beautiful  city  you  will  first  see 
your  guardian  angel,  who  will  congratulate  you.  At  last  all 
the  labor  is  over,  no  more  pain,  afflictions,  or  sufferings.  What 
thanks  will  not  your  soul  pour  forth  to  that  angel  for  having 
conducted  you  through  so  many  difficulties,  defended  you 
from  so  many  enemies  who  were  besetting  you  to  rob  you  of 
your  future  happiness!  You  will  meet  there  glorious  proces- 
sions of  the  heavenly  citizens,  who  will  rejoice  in  your  arrival. 
What  joy  there  will  be  to  meet  your  good  parents,  your 
friends;  what  a  recognition!  What  happiness  to  meet  your 
good  companions,  who  by  their  example  and  modest  words 
made  your  start  in  life  a  holy  one  and  your  continuance  in  it 
successful!  You  will  bless  the  day  that  you  broke  off  with 
bad  companions  who  had  gi'eat  pleasure  in  the  world  in  sin. 
You  will  be  happy  again  in  meeting  your  teachers,  to  whom 
you  will  not  be  able  to  render  sufficient  thanks  for  the  ad- 
vice given  you,  and  to  whom,  after  God,  you  owe  gratitude 
for  the  happy  privilege  of  being  now  safe  in  the  haven  of 
eternal  bliss.  What  happiness  will  you  not  feel  to  see  those 
saints  to  whom  you  have  prayed,  and  whom  you  have  honored 
in  life.  You  will  see  St.  Joseph,  the  foster-father  of  Our 
Lord,  the  Apostles  of  Christ,  St.  John,  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul, 
and  all  the  other  saints,  of  whom  you  have  heard  so  much: 
you  will  cast  yourself  at  their  feet  to  pour  out  to  them  your 
fervent  thanks.  They  will  say,  "  No  longer  are  we  your  pro- 
ieetors,  but  your  companions  and  sharers  in  the  glory  of  the 
Lord.    Yoix  are  no  longer  guests  and  pilgrims,  but  permanent 


96  The  Transfiguration  of  Our  Lord, 

inhabitants  of  heaven/'  They  will  pay  you  the  respect  due 
to  your  victory;  you  will  receive  greater  honors  than  if  you 
were  kings  and  princes.  Is  it  possible,  my  dear  young  people, 
that  because  you  refuse  to  give  up  a  bad  companion,  or  a  sin, 
you  would  resign  the  right  to  all  this  future  glory,  and  refuse 
to  become  the  companion  of  the  pure  angels  and  the  glorious 
saints? 

What  happiness  you  will  feel  when  you  are  brought  to  the 
throne  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  advocate 
of  sinners  and  your  mother  also!  How  beautiful  she  is!  So 
beautiful  is  she  that  you  would  gladly  be  blind  all  your  life 
just  for  this  one  look  at  her.  You  will  fall  prostrate  at  her 
feet,  kiss  the  hem  of  her  garments  and  with  gratitude  you 
will  cry  out,  ^'^By  your  aid  I  am  now  in  paradise:  you  have 
been  so  kind  to  me  in  my  wanderings  and  now  you  have 
brought  me  to  this  unmerited  glory."  What  joy  must  it  not 
be  to  see  Mary,  to  hear  her  speak  in  the  musical  words  of 
heaven!  She  will  embrace  and  caress  you.  Then  from  the 
throne  of  Mary  there  is  but  a  step  to  that  of  her  divine  Son, 
Jesus.  Yes,  you  shall  behold  Jesus,  living  in  a  holy  and 
glorious  humanity.  What  rays  of  light  and  of  glory  will 
shine  forth  from  that  countenance!  If  a  hundred  suns  were 
to  unite  their  glorious  rays  they  would  not  be  comparable  to 
the  glory  of  the  face  of  Christ. 

It  is  said  of  St.  Teresa  that  she  once  saw  in  spirit  for  a 
moment  the  sacred  and  adorable  humanity  of  Our  Lord,  and 
was  so  enraptured  by  the  vision  that  the  sun  in  its  meridian 
appeared  pale  and  without  warmth  in .  comparison  to  Him. 
From  here  you  will  be  conducted  to  the  throne  of  the 
Blessed  Trinity,  and  you  wall  fix  your  gaze  on  the  centre  of 
all  good,  the  fountain  of  all  beatitude,  the  abyss  of  inacces- 
sible light.  To  see  God!  Yes,  this  is  the  very  essence  of 
the  glory  and  happiness  of  all  eternity!  You  will  be  lost  in 
ecstasy  for  the  torrent  of  joy  which  will  inundate  your  soul. 
You  will  see  God,  you  will  love  Him,  you  will  possess  Him; 
as  St.  Augustine  tells  us,  ^^You  shall  see  the  happiaess  of 


Second  Sunday  of  Lent,  97 

God,  you  will  be  rich  with  His  riches/'  But  when  shall  that 
blessed  day  dawn  when  we  shall  be  in  heaven?  It  will  come, 
my  dear  young  people,  very  soon,  as  soon  as  this  life  is  over. 
We  all  wish  to  go  to  heaven — that  is  our  general  desire.  But 
remember  the  inscription  that  will  be  seen  at  the  portals  of 
paradise,  and  which  concerns  you  very  much:  "  This  is  no 
place  for  dogs  who  are  filthy,  no  place  for  the  impure,  the 
revengeful — in  short,  no  place  for  the  sinner.  The  innocent 
alone  and  those  of  a  pure  heart  may  enter.''  Can  you  even 
bear  the  thought  in  your  mind  that  this  happiness  is  not  for 
you,  that  the  blood  of  the  Eedeemer  was  shed  for  you  in  vain, 
and  that  He  will  not  open  the  gates  of  heaven  for  you?  Our 
Lord  once  said  to  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna,  after  having  made 
her  feel  a  little  of  the  happiness  of  paradise,  "  See,  My  daugh- 
ter, of  what  great  happiness  the  sinner  deprives  himself,  and 
to  what  dreadful  torments  he  is  blindly  rushing."  Keep  your 
eyes  always  on  heaven,  my  dear  young  people;  that  is  your 
fatherland,  your  inheritance,  your  kingdom:  rouse  yourselves 
to  serve  Our  Lord  faithfully,  to  practise  good  works  courage- 
ously, to  avoid  evil,  and  rather  suffer  death  than  renounce 
heaven. 

We  read  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  of  a  mother  whose  seven 
sons  were  apprehended  by  a  cruel  tyrant,  and  terrible  tor- 
ments were  inflicted  on  them  before  her  very  eyes.  The  skin 
of  their  heads  was  pulled  off  with  the  hair,  their  hands  and 
feet  were  cut  off,  their  tongues  were  cut  out,  they  were 
roasted  at  a  slow  fire,  and  in  these  torments  she  saw  six  of 
them  die.  One  still  remained,  the  youngest,  the  handsomest, 
the  one  most  dear  to  her  heart.  The  tyrant  turned  to  the 
mother  and  said,  '^  Have  compassion  on  this  one  that  is  left; 
make  him  adore  the  idols,  make  him  obey  me,  and  you  shall 
have  him  safe  and  sound.  But  if  you  refuse,  my  bitterest 
hate  shall  fall  on  him,  and  when  he  is  gone  I  will  apply  the 
same  tortures  to  you,  until  you  also  close  your  eyes  in  death." 
Then  the  mother  pressed  the  youth  to  her  bosom,  bathed  his 
eweet  face  with  tears  of  affection,  and  said,  '^  I  beseech  thee. 


98        The  Cure  of  the  Man  Possessed  hy  the  Devil. 

my  son,  look  upon  heaven  and  earth,  and  all  that  is  in  them: 
and  consider,  that  Grod  made  them  out  of  nothing,  and  man- 
kind also:  So  thou  shalt  not  fear  this  tormentor,  but  being 
made  a  worthy  partner  with  thy  brethren,  receive  death,  that 
in  that  mercy  I  may  receive  thee  again  with  thy  brethren." 
The  youth  allowed  himself  to  be  scourged,  and  suffered  the 
greatest  torments,  and  so  was  found  worthy  to  enter  heaven. 
What  do  you  say  now?  With  you  the  question  is  not  whether 
you  have  to  pass  through  fire  and  sword  to  obtain  heaven. 
God  requires  less  of  you.  He  wants  you  to  persevere  in  the 
good  way  in  w'hich  you  have  been  educated,  obedient  to  your 
superiors,  faithful  to  your  prayers  and  in  the  frequent  use 
of  the  sacraments.  He  asks  you  only  to  curb  your  passions. 
Many  have  done  great  things  to  gain  heaven,  as  you  have 
heard.  The  martyrs  sacrificed  their  lives — will  you  do  less 
than  they?  Will  you  for  a  momentary  pleasure  renounce 
heaven?  Will  you  rather  be  a  devil  in  hell  than  a  saint  in 
paradise?  Think  seriously  of  this,  and  then  decide  nobly 
that,  cost  what  it  may,  you  will  do  all  in  your  power,  with  the 
grace  of  God,  to  merit  that  eternal  reward  that  awaits  all 
those  that  are  faithful  to  the  end. 

THIRD   SUNDAY   OF  LENT. 

Gospel.  Luke  xi.  14-28.  At  tlmt  time:  Jesus  was  casting  out  a 
devil,  and  the  same  was  dumb.  And  when  he  had  cast  out  the  devil, 
the  dumb  spoke;  and  the  multitude  were  in  admiration  at  it:  but 
some  of  them  said :  He  casteth  out  devils  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of 
devils.  And  others  tempting,  asked  of  him  a  sign  from  heaven.  But 
he,  seeing  their  thoughts,  said  to  them:  Every  kingdom  divided 
against  itself  shall  be  brought  to  desolation,  and  house  upon  house 
shall  fall.  And  if  Satan  also  be  divided  against  himself,  how  shall 
his  kingdom  stand?  because  you  say,  that  through  Beelzebub  I  cast 
out  devils.  Now  if  I  cast  out  devils  by  Beelzebub:  by  whom  do 
your  children  cast  them  out?  Therefore  they  shall  be  your  judges. 
But  if  I,  by  the  finger  of  God,  cast  out  devils:  doubtless  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  come  upon  you.  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth 
his  court:    those  things  ere  in  peace  which  he  possesseth.    But  if  a 


2%ird  Sunday  of  Lent.  99 

stronger  than  he  come  upon  him  and  overcome  him:  he  will  take 
away  all  his  armor  wherein  he  trusted,  and  will  distribute  his  spoils. 
He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me:  and  he  that  gathereth  not 
with  me  scattereth.  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man, 
he  walketh  through  places  without  water,  seeking  rest:  and  not 
finding,  he  saith :  I  will  return  into  my  house  whence  I  came  out.  And 
when  he  is  come,  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished.  Then  he  goeth 
and  taketh  with  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself, 
and  entering  in  they  dwell  there.  And  the  last  state  of  that  man 
becomes  worse  than  the  first.  And  it  came  to  pass  as  he  spoke 
these  things,  a  certain  woman  from  the  crowd  lifting  up  her  voice 
said  to  him:  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bore  thee,  and  the  paps  that 
gave  thee  suck.  But  he  said:  Yea,  rather,  blessed  axe  they  who  hear 
the  word  of  God  and  keep  it. 


THE  CURE  OF  THE  MAN^  POSSESSED  BY  THE  DEYIL. 

Our  loving  Eedeemer,  in  all  His  journeys  through  Judea, 
performed  many  works  of  mercy  and  kindness  to  poor  hu- 
manity. All  the  sick  people  who  could  approach  Him  were 
cured,  the  blind  received  their  sight,  the  deaf  heard,  the  lame 
walked,  and  even  the  dead  were  raised  to  life.  He  was  the 
great  wonder-worker  of  those  days,  and  the  sick  and  unfortu- 
nate especially  flocked  around  Him. 

But  not  only  did  He  work  miracles — ^He  also  led  a  most 
holy  life,  a  life  that  was  an  example  to  every  one.  In  Him 
there  was  no  defect,  no  vice,  no  fault.  From  all  this  it  would 
appear  to  us  that  He  should  he  known  by  all  as  the  Messias. 
The  crowds,  indeed,  knew  Him,  but  they  were  the  common 
people,  who  followed,  loved,  and  adored  Him  as  their  Sa- 
viour. But  the  Pharisees  were  not  of  this  class;  they  were 
full  of  envy  of  Jesus  because  He  was  not  of  their  school;  they 
calumniated  and  persecuted  Him;  His  greatest  and  holiest 
actions  were  presented  in  a  bad  light,  and  in  this  very  day's 
Gospel  we  have  an  example  of  their  perversity.  Our  Lord 
had  cast  out  the  devil,  and  the  Pharisees,  with  a  significant 
shake  of  the  head  and  frightened  mien,  said,  ^^This  man 
casteth   not   out   devils   but   by   Beelzebub   the   prince   of 


100      The  Cure  of  the  Man  Possessed  hy  the  Devil, 

devils.'^  There  are  many  in  the  world  that  imitate  the 
Pharisees;  whatever  good  is  done  by  a  person  is  looked  at  in 
a  bad  light;  evil  purposes  are  attributed  to  the  purest  inten- 
tions. Young  people  are  much  given  to  this  sort  of  criticism; 
they  are  so  thoughtless  that  they  will  say  almost  anything 
of  another.  They  see  a  companion  serious  and  pious,  and 
they  say  he  is  crazy,  or  a  devotee;  here  is  one  that  goes  to 
communion  regularly — ^and  they  call  him  a  hypocrite;  here 
is  a  noble  young  fellow,  polite  and  good  to  his  masters  and 
obedient  to  their  directions — they  say  he  is  a  mean,  sneaky 
character  and  does  it  all  to  obtain  power;  a  retired,  quiet 
boy  is  considered  a  fool;  if  he  is  found  praying  in  church, 
they  make  fun  of  his  devotion;  in  fact,  the  bad  boy  cannot 
see  any  good  in  a  well-behaved,  religious  lad.  It  is  a  singular 
thing,  but  nevertheless  true,  that  Jealousy  is  in  our  hearts, 
especially  in  regard  to  the  good  qualities  of  our  companions. 
All  the  good  they  have  seems  to  detract  from  us,  and  we  can- 
not acknowledge  ourselves  inferior  to  others.  It  is  an 
abominable  trait,  hateful  to  God  and  to  our  fellow  creatures. 
Then  speak  no  evil  of  the  goodness  of  others;  commend  your 
good  companions,  love  them  the  more,  recommend  them  to 
the  notice  of  others,  and  make  up  your  mind  to  avoid  the 
company  of  evil  talkers  and  detractors.  If  this  detraction 
should  strike  you,  and  make  you  feel  the  injustice  of  man- 
kind, continue  in  your  goodness,  let  them  talk.  Would  you 
become  bad  because  the  wicked  see  no  good  in  you?  Did 
Our  Lord  change  the  manner  of  His  life  when  the  Pharisees 
spoke  evil  of  Him?  On  the  contrary,  He  quietly  continued, 
as  if  He  did  not  hear  them  at  all. 

The  devil  had  deprived  the  poor  man  of  the  power  of 
speech,  not  for  his  own  good  you  may  be  sure;  he  might 
have  left  him  the  use  of  his  tongue,  and  instigated  him  to 
speak  very  much  evil:  for  though  the  tongue  is  a  small  mem- 
ber, it  can  do  an  immense  amount  of  harm.  Just  consider 
for  a  minute  what  the  tongue  can  do:  the  blasphemies 
against  God,  the  frauds  against  men,  detraction,  deception. 


Third  Sunday  of  Lent,  101 

bad  counsel,  immodest  words,  ridicule  of  religion  and  re- 
ligious usages;  these  are  the  fruits  of  an  unguarded  tongue. 
St.  James  tells  us  that  the  tongue  is  the  universe  of  iniquity. 
If  our  young  people  were  only  dumb  in  regard  to  the  vices  of 
the  tongue,  they  would  not  have  to  answer  for  so  many  sins 
or  for  the  eternal  ruin  of  their  companions.  St.  Vincent 
Ferrer  relates  an  example  of  a  dumb  woman  who  was  brought 
to  him  to  be  cured.  "  What  do  you  wish  me  to  do  for  you, 
my  daughter?''  She,  that  had  never  spoken  before,  said, 
"  Give  me  the  knowledge  of  how  to  live  a  holy  and  spiritual 
life,  besides  the  faculty  of  speech."  St.  Vincent  replied, 
"  Yes,  you  shall  have  the  first  request,  but  as  to  the  faculty 
of  speech  I  will  not  obtain  it  for  you;  it  is  better  to  save 
yourself  without  being  able  to  speak,  than  to  damn  your  soul 
by  the  sins  of  the  tongue.  Even  though  now  you  have  spoken 
you  will  again  become  dumb." 

How  many  men  at  the  judgment-seat  will  wish  that  they 
had  been  born  dumb,  when  they  see  that  they  have  lost  their 
souls  by  the  faculty  of  speech!  As  I  said  before,  the  devil 
did  not  deprive  this  youth  of  whom  we  are  treating  in  this 
Gospel  of  speech  for  his  own  good.  Satan  never  does  any- 
thing for  our  good,  but  for  our  destruction.  The  devil's  de- 
light is  to  make  men  spiritually  dumb;  he  enters  into  their 
hearts,  takes  possession  of  them,  and  makes  them  incapable 
of  speaking.  They  become  mute  and  do  not  open  their 
mouths  in  prayer;  even  when  pressed  by  the  greatest  need 
they  cannot  go  to  confession.  They  have  committed  a  great 
sin  and  he  makes  them  tremble  with  fear;  they  would  rather 
conceal  the  poison  in  their  breast  than  confess  the  fault. 
Bold  as  men  are  before  committing  a  crime,  they  are  real 
cowards  after  it  is  done;  he  suggests  to  the  poor  sinner  that 
he  will  lose  the  esteem  and  good  opinion  of  the  confessor; 
that  he  will  be  scandalized,  that  he  will  scold  and  that  he 
will  deny  him  absolution.  No,  my  dear  children,  allow  not 
yourselves  to  be  led  away  by  the  devil.  The  confessor  does 
not  think  less  of  his  penitent  by  hearing  his  confession;   on 


102      The  Cure  of  the  Man  Possessed  hy  the  Devil, 

the  contrary  he  is  impressed  by  his  openheartedness;  he  is 
not  scandalized  at  the  recital  of  sins,  he  only  sees  an  example 
of  faith  and  piety;  he  will  not  scold,  only  to  put  you  on  your 
guard  and  give  you  the  necessary  advice  to  escape  faults  in 
the  future;  and  if  he  does  scold,  it  is  because,  aroused  by  the 
danger  you  are  in,  he  wants  to  put  sufficient  emphasis  to  his 
words,  so  that  you  may  appreciate  the  importance  of  your 
fall.  The  confessor  will  never  deny  absolution  except  in 
cases  where  he  sees  that  there  is  going  to  be  no  effort  made 
at  correction.  Be  on  your  guard,  my  dear  young  people, 
against  sin;  but  should  you  commit  any,  make  up  your  mind 
at  once  to  get  rid  of  that  dark  stain  on  your  conscience  by  a 
sincere  confession.  Oh,  what  miseries  are  heaped  up  by 
those  who  conceal  their  sins!  All  their  confessions  are  worth- 
less; the  sin  of  sacrilege  is  added  to  the  rest,  their  condition 
is  even  worse  than  it  was  before.  Then  there  is  the  danger 
that  when  a  sin  is  once  concealed,  it  will  close  the  mouth  of 
the  penitent  so  effectually  that  even  at  the  hour  of  death  it 
will  not  be  revealed,  as  we  find  in  many  cases.  An  unhappy 
woman  was  ashamed  to  confess  a  certain  sin.  She  fell  seri- 
ously ill,  and  her  confessor  was  called;  when  she  saw  him  she 
cried  out,  "You  have  come  in  time  to  see  a  lying  penitent 
of  yours  go  to  hell.  I  have  often  confessed  to  you,  but  have 
always  concealed  the  graver  faults."  He  begged  her  to  make 
her  confession,  but  she  said,  "  I  cannot,  I  am  damned! "  and 
she  breathed  her  last. 

When  you  have  overcome  this  dumb  devil  by  a  good  con- 
fession, and  he  shall  have  gone  away  from  you,  have  the 
doors  of  your  heart  well  under  observation  that  he  may  not 
come  back  again;  then  you  will  have  peace  of  mind.  "  When 
a  strong  man  well  armed  guards  his  house,  all  that  he  has  will 
be  secure. '^  Our  Lord  does  not  say  to  guard  the  interior,  but 
He  desires  you  to  have  special  care  of  the  entrance.  And 
why?  Because  when  the  door  of  the  soul,  by  which  all  man- 
ner of  evil  may  enter,  is  not  looked  after,  there  will  be  little 


TJwrd  Sunday  of  Lent,  103 

hope  of  your  continuing  in  good.  Is  it  not  written,  "  He  who 
loveth  danger  shall  perish  in  it  ^'? 

Easter  is  near,  and  you  wish  to  make  a  good  confession; 
you  desire  to  be  really  converted.  Then  you  will  have  to 
make  a  good  and  firm  resolution  not  only  to  avoid  sin,  but  to 
watch  every  approach  to  the  soul.  If  your  conversion  is  not 
of  this  kind  it  will  not  be  real,  and  you  will  not  persevere 
to  the  end.  You  cannot  imagine  all  the  tricks  the  devil  is 
going  to  employ  to  catch  you  again.  "When  the  devil  has  gone 
out  of  a  man,  he  wanders  about  in  lonesome  places,  looking 
for  a  home;  but  not  finding  a  suitable  one  he  will  say  to 
himself,  I  will  go  back  to  the  soul  from  which  I  came.  He 
finds  the  soul  cleansed  and  beautifully  ornamented  with  vir- 
tues, a  thing  not  at  all  to  his  taste,  and  he  sees  that  the  soul 
evidently  thinks  herself  strong.  He  goes  and  takes  with 
him  seven  others  worse  than  himself;  they  make  a  sudden 
attack  by  wily  means,  and  again  they  triumph;  they  enter, 
and  the  last  condition  of  that  soul  is  worse  than  the  first. 
The  devil  will  not  quietly  give  up  what  he  has  lost;  he  makes 
every  possible  effort,  employs  every  artifice  to  regain  pos- 
session. He  tempts  the  poor  soul  with  a  sense  of  false  se- 
curity, he  follows  her  in  all  her  acts  of  piety  and  devotion, 
he  fills  her  imagination  with  magnificent  promises.  "All 
these  things  will  I  give  thee.''  He  would  give  the  whole 
world  if  it  were  his,  to  gain  his  point.  You  can,  from  this, 
form  an  idea  of  the  value  of  a  soul,  when  you  see  the  devil 
make  such  efforts  to  gain  it.  You  can  see  how  valuable  it  is, 
when  it  has  cost  the  life  of  Our  Lord  to  ransom  it  from  the 
grasp  of  the  enemy.  What  insanity,  then,  to  think  the  soul 
of  little  worth!  From  henceforth  have  a  great  care  of  your 
soul;  do  not  sell  it  to  the  devil  for  any  price;  certainly  not 
for  a  momentary  pleasure,  or  for  some  unlawful  satisfaction. 

When  the  devil  has  come  into  possession  of  your  soul  for 
the  second  time,  how  hard  it  will  be  to  dislodge  him  again; 
if  he  takes  seven  other  devils  worse  than  himself,  how  much 
stronger  will  be  his  hold;   he  will  rivet  the  chains  firmer. 


104      The  Cure  of  the  Man  Possessed  hy  the  Devil, 

The  devil  does  in  your  case  as  you  would  do  to  a  bird  that  has 
escaped  the  meshes  of  your  net;  you  will  choose  stronger 
cords,  and  should  you  succeed  in  alluring  it  to  the  net  again, 
you  will  make  sure  that  it  shall  not  escape  a  second  time. 
The  devil  would  do  with  you  as  you  would  do  to  a  slave  who 
has  struck  off  his  chains.  You  would  put  heavier  chains  on 
him,  and  keep  such  a  guard  over  him  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  him  to  get  away.  So  also  will  the  devil  shut  off 
every  avenue  of  approach  to  your  relief.  Should  you  find 
some  benefit  to  your  soul  from  the  reading  of  a  good  book, 
he  will  lead  you  to  places  where  there  are  none  to  fall  into 
your  hands;  should  you  have  an  opportunity  to  hear  a  good 
sermon  that  would  perhaps  open  your  eyes,  he  will  lure  you 
to  plays  and  enjoyments.  In  this  way  he  will  use  every 
artifice  and  all  the  cunning  of  which  he  is  master,  until  at 
last  you  will  be  firmly  under  his  dominion.  And  thus  it  is 
that  the  last  state  is  worse  than  the  first.  So  it  is  that  those 
who  fall  again  into  the  slavery  of  Satan  rarely  find  the 
power  of  resistance  until  they  are  led  to  the  gates  of  hell. 
May  such  a  terrible  thing  never  happen  to  you;  that  having 
put  the  devil  from  you,  you  should  again  make  peace  with 
him  and  allow  him  to  regain  your  soul. 

When  Our  Lord  had  concluded  His  words,  such  admira- 
tion came  over  the  crowd  that  they  could  no  longer  contain 
themselves,  and  a  certain  woman  cried  out,  "  Blessed  is  the 
womb  that  bore  Thee  and  the  paps  that  gave  Thee  suck." 
Our  Lord  was  certainly  conscious  of  the  great  glory  of  His 
Mother  Mary,  but  He  answered,  "Yea,  rather,  blessed  are 
they  who  hear  the  word  of  God  and  keep  it."  Be  of  the  num- 
ber of  those  happy  and  blessed  ones.  The  Pharisees  heard 
the  word  of  God,  but  kept  it  not.  You,  my  good  children, 
listen  with  simplicity  of  heart  and  with  humility.  Many 
have  gone  and  many  vill  go  to  heaven  because  they  heard 
the  word  of  God  and  kept  it.  St.  John  of  God  was  a  wan- 
derer on  the  face  of  the  earth;  he  had  run  away  from  his 
home:  was  twice  a  soldier,  and  was  once  condemned  to  death. 


Fourth  Sunday  of  Lent,  105 

He  had  the  happiness  once  to  hear  a  sermon;  he  heard  it 
with  a  contrite  and  humble  heart,  he  fell  on  his  face  in  the 
church,  publicly  confessed  his  sins,  and  rose  to  become  a 
saint. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT. 

Gospel.  John  vi.  1-15.  At  that  time:  Jesus  went  over  the  sea 
of  Galilee,  which  is  that  of  Tiberias:  and  a  great  multitude  followed 
him,  because  they  saw  the  miracles  which  he  did  on  them  that  were 
diseased.  Jesus  therefore  went  up  into  a  mountain:  and  there  he 
sat  with  his  disciples.  Now  the  Pasch,  the  festival  day  of  the  Jews, 
was  near  at  hand.  When  Jesus  therefore  had  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and 
seen  that  a  very  great  multitude  cometh  to  him,  he  said  to  Philip: 
Whence  shall  we  buy  bread,  that  these  may  eat?  And  this  he  said 
to  try  him,  for  he  himself  knew  what  he  would  do.  Philip  an- 
swered him:  Two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread  is  not  sufficient 
for  them,  that  every  one  may  take  a  little.  One  of  his  disciples, 
Andrew,  the  brother  of  Simon  Peter,  saith  to  him:  There  is  a  boy 
here  that  hath  five  barley  loaves,  and  two  fishes:  but  what  are 
these  among  so  many?  Then  Jesus  said:  Make  the  men  sit  down. 
Now  there  was  much  grass  in  the  place.  The  men  therefore  sat 
down,  in  number  about  five  thousand.  And  Jesus  took  the  loaves; 
and  when  he  had  given  thanks,  he  distributed  to  them  that  were 
sat  down:  in  like  manner  also  of  the  fishes  as  much  as  they  would. 
And  when  they  were  filled,  he  said  to  his  disciples:  Gather  up  the 
fragments  that  remain,  lest  they  be  lost.  They  gathered  up  there- 
fore, and  filled  twelve  baskets  with  the  fragments  of  the  five  barley 
loaves,  which  remained  over  and  above  to  them  that  had  eaten.  Now 
those  men,  when  they  had  seen  what  a  miracle  Jesus  had  done,  said: 
This  is  of  a  truth  the  prophet  that  is  to  come  into  the  world.  Jesus 
therefore  when  he  knew  that  they  would  come  to  take  him  by  force 
and  make  him  king,  fled  again  into  the  mountain  himself  alone. 

JESUS    FEEDING    FIVE    THOUSAND   PEOPLE   WITH    FIVE 
LOAVES   AND   TWO   FISHES. 

It  is  always  a  grand,  inspiring  sight  to  see  young  people 
come  together  in  great  numbers  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  to 
consider  the  wonderful  deeds  of  God,  and  listen  to  His  beau- 


106  Jesus  Feeding  Five  Thousand  People, 

tiful  discourses,  which  have  been  preserved  in  the  gospels. 
To-day  there  is  proposed  to  our  consideration  the  wonderful 
feeding  of  five  thousand  people  with  five  loaves  and  two 
fishes. 

The  evening  was  approaching,  and  still  the  crowd,  charmed 
by  the  words  of  Our  Lord  in  His  sublime  instruction,  made 
not  the  least  move  to  leave  Him  and  go  to  their  homes  in  the 
city,  nor  did  they  even  think  of  procuring  food.  Our  Lord 
was  still  busy  healing  the  sick.  What  a  preacher  He  must 
have  been!  You  see  the  mass  of  people,  closely  gathered 
about  Him,  listening  with  eagerness  to  every  word  addressed 
to  them,  and  so  intent  are  they  that  they  forget  their  food. 
In  the  time  of  Our  Lord  there  were  thousands  who  went  to 
Him  with  a  good  heart;  He  loved  them  for  it  and  this  eve- 
ning they  were  to  be  the  guests  of  the  divine  Master.  In  our 
day  we  do  not  as  a  rule  find  that  hunger  after  the  word  of 
God;  people  do  not  like  sermons,  and  especially  young  peo- 
ple can  hardly  contain  themselves  and  sit  still  to  listen  to 
the  word  of  God.  Parents  can  plead  and  threaten,  the  con- 
fessor can  admonish,  the  pastor  shows  his  zeal  in  vain.  But 
what  great  damage  results  to  our  soul  from  this  carelessness! 
From  this  comes  that  ignorance  of  religion  and  God  and 
blindness  of  the  mind  which  is  the  mother  of  all  evil.  From 
this  you  can  trace  the  hardness  of  men's  hearts,  obstinacy  in 
vice  and  sin,  and  at  last  eternal  damnation.  There  is  not, 
says  St.  Bernard,  a  more  certain  sign  of  people  losing  their 
immortal  souls  than  their  aversion  to  the  word  of  God. 

One  day  as  St.  Hilary  was  about  to  preach,  after  having 
finished  the  reading  of  the  Gospel,  many  got  up  to  go  out. 
The  saintly  preacher  was  stirred,  and  he  called  to  them  to  re- 
turn and  resume  their  places,  saying,  "You  are  going  out, 
but  you  will  not  so  easily  go  out  of  hell."  It  is  related  of 
St.  Anthony  of  Padua  that  he  wanted  to  preach  to  a  number 
of  heretics,  but  they  all  went  away  and  would  not  listen;  he 
then  went  to  the  seashore  and  began  to  preach  to  the  fishes. 
"Listen  to  the  word  of  God,  ye  fishes  of  the  sea,  for  these 


Fourth  Sv/nday  of  Lent.  107 

unhappy  heretics  will  not  listen  to  me/'  With  that  an  im- 
mense number  of  fishes  gathered  as  near  as  they  could  come 
to  him,  with  their  heads  slightly  raised  out  of  the  water  as 
if  they  were  all  attention.  When  St.  Anthony  saw  this  he 
said,  "  Blessed  be  God,  for  the  fishes  honor  God  more  than 
the  people  of  the  earth."  In  many  churches  is  witnessed  this 
eagerness  to  run  away,  and  to  such  these  words  can  be  ap- 
plied, "  You  can  easily  leave  the  church,  but  you  cannot  so 
easily  get  out  of  hell." 

Dear  children,  if  you  wish  to  save  your  souls  and  go  to 
heaven,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 

When  our  dear  Lord  saw  this  great  crowd  of  people  that 
had  followed  Him  and  had  continued  with  Him  so  as  not  to 
lose  one  of  His  discourses,  He  was  touched  with  compassion 
for  them.  Turning  to  Philip,  one  of  His  disciples.  He  asked 
him,  "Whence  shall  we  buy  bread,  that  these  may  eat?" 
Philip  answered  Him,  "  Two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread  is 
not  sufficient  for  them,  that  every  one  may  take  a  little."  Our 
Lord,  calling  the  Apostles  about  Him,  asked,  "How  many 
loaves  have  you?"  Andrew  answered,  "  There  is  a  boy  here 
that  hath  five  barley  loaves  and  two  fishes,  but  what  are  these 
among  so  many?"  "Bring  Me,"  said  Our  Lord,  "the  little 
you  have,  and  make  the  people  sit  down  on  the  grass."  Our 
Lord  then  took  the  loaves,  and,  raising  His  eyes  to  heaven, 
blessed  them,  and  distributed  to  them  that  were  sat  down. 

What  a  magnificent  miracle  Our  Lord  worked  for  the 
benefit  of  His  followers  on  this  occasion!  Be  ye  also  true  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus;  live  in  His  holy  love  and  fear,  and  He  will 
provide  for  you  in  all  your  necessities.  Would  that  you  were 
convinced  of  this!  There  are,  indeed,  many  who  have  to  un- 
dergo terrible  sufferings,  some  even  die  of  hunger;  but  you 
must  not  accuse  almighty  God  of  carelessness  in  their  regard. 
Often  it  is  their  own  fault  on  account  of  the  bad  lives  they 
have  led.  Wickedness  produces  untold  evil  in  this  world; 
you  know  there  are  many  young  people  who  lead  impious  and 
criminal  lives,  who  are  Catholics  only  in  name,  who  never  go 


108  Jesus  Feedmg  Five  Thousand  People, 

to  confession,  though  they  have  been  taught  to  go  from  their 
early  childhood;  they  do  not  go  to  communion  nor  observe 
Sundays  and  holydays;  they  blaspheme  the  word  of  God,  and 
they  act  worse  than  the  brute  in  the  pursuit  of  the  object  of 
their  passions.  God  will  not  prosper  such  as  these,  they  can- 
not have  the  peace  of  mind  which  is  the  share  of  those  who 
serve  God;  they  are  harassed  by  discontent  and  anger,  and 
these  vices  sometimes  produce  terrible  effects,  and  could 
really  be  a  sufficient  explanation  of  much  of  the  misery  with 
which  we  find  poor  humanity  afflicted.  Yes,  if  sin  could  be 
removed  from  this  world,  no  doubt  many  of  the  scourges 
which  come  upon  us,  many  sicknesses,  terrible  and  unfore- 
seen deaths,  would  be  removed  also  and  heavenly  peace  would 
reign  supreme.  Often  and  often  we  read  of  this  in  the  word 
of  God.  The  impious  are  told  that  they  are  hurrying  toward 
their  destruction,  and  the  good  are  the  favorite  children  of 
God.  But,  you  will  say,  the  good  are  often  afflicted;  for  we 
have  met  them  suffering  hunger,  misery,  and  persecution. 
Why  does  God  allow  His  faithful  followers  to  be  so  tried,  as 
was  the  good  and  holy  Job?  God  permits  these  trials  to  the 
just  to  purify  them,  to  detach  them  from  the  things  of  this 
world,  and  to  give  them  opportunity  to  merit  more  for  eter- 
nal life.  God  reigns  supreme  in  the  hearts  of  the  just;  He 
gives  them  His  grace  to  suffer  with  patience  whatever  may 
come  to  them,  and  this  is  the  reason  that  these  trials  are  no 
longer  afflictions  but  rather  consolations.  St.  Paul  says, 
"  We  glory  also  in  tribulations." 

The  loaves  which  fed  such  a  multitude  represent  the  Holy 
Eucharist.  Every  day  this  mystical  bread  is  multiplied 
and  distributed  from  the  altar.  What  a  great  gift  is  this 
Blessed  Sacrament,  what  a  proof  of  God's  love  for  His  chil- 
dren, what  a  display  of  His  omnipotence!  The  bread  on  our 
altars  remains  no  longer  bread;  it  is  changed  by  the  power 
of  Jesus  Christ  into  His  sacred  body  and  blood.  With  this 
bread  you  can  feed  your  soul  every  day. 

It  is  natural  fo  suppose  that  the  crowd  that   was  fed 


Fourth  Sunday  of  Lent.  109 

miraculously  had  knowledge  of  it,  and  ate  that  blessed  bread 
with  avidity.  What  fervent  thanks  did  they  not  return  to 
Him  who  had  so  favored  them!  The  same  joy  tills  the  heart 
of  the  generous  young  man  or  woman  after  the  reception  of 
the  body  of  the  Lord.  You  have  felt  this;  it  is  the  greatest 
consolation  and  the  most  exquisite  enjoyment  of  your  life. 
Many  there  are  who  do  not  realize  what  they  do,  and  are  cold 
and  indevout.  To  them  communion  is  without  consolation; 
they  go,  perhaps  from  habit  or  because  their  companions  of 
a  sodality  are  going  in  a  body,  but  not  that  they  really  hunger 
after  this  Bread  of  life.  It  is  related  of  a  young  man,  whose 
wicked  parents  did  not  wish  him  to  go  to  communion,  that 
by  some  means  he  eluded  their  vigilance,  and  at  the  very 
dawn,  when  no  one  in  the  house  was  yet  stirring,  he  would 
hasten  to  first  Mass  and  go  to  communion;  then  making  his 
thanksgiving  on  his  way  back,  he  went  to  bed  again  before 
any  one  had  noticed  his  absence.  This  young  man  appre- 
ciated the  happiness  of  holy  communion.  Let  us  approach 
this  sacred  banquet  and  eat  our  fill;  we  will  derive  strength 
and  endurance  from  it.  If  Our  Lord  sees  us  approach  with 
affection.  He  will  return  love  for  love  and  be  the  greatest 
friend  we  have. 

But  you,  smaller  children,  my  lambs,  who  have  not  yet 
had  the  happiness  of  drawing  so  closely  to  Our  Lord,  look 
forward  to  the  day  of  your  first  communion;  you  are  now 
learning  the  teachings  of  the  Church  concerning  the  real 
presence;  you  are  beginning  to  distinguish  this  Bread  of 
angels  from  ordinary  bread,  and  as  soon  as  you  reach  the 
use  of  reason  you  will  be  admitted  to  the  divine  festival.  Be 
anxious  to  know  your  holy  faith  by  learning  the  Catechism; 
try  to  realize  that  it  is  Jesus  you  are  going  to  receive,  and  be- 
gin now  to  form  in  your  heart  sentiments  of  great  love  and 
desire. 

Mary  Magdalen  of  Pazzi,  when  a  young  child,  had  a  great 
desire  to  go  to  communion;  but  she  was  denied  the  happiness 
because  she  was  not  old  enough.    She  had  a  great  knowledge 


110  Jesus  Feeding  Five  Thousand  People, 

of  Jesus  on  the  altar  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  spent 
hours  on  her  knees  in  the  church.  At  one  time  her  mother 
went  to  communion  and  little  Magdalen  saw  her.  How  beau- 
tiful her  mother  looked!  The  child  was  so  struck  at  the  sight 
that  she  begged  to  be  allowed  to  make  her  first  communion, 
that  she,  too,  might  feel  that  great  happiness.  She  after- 
wards called  the  days  of  communion  days  of  love. 

I  cannot  persuade  myself  even  now  to  cease  speaking  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Approach  the  altar  with  exterior  as  well 
as  interior  reverence  and  holy  fear.  Let  the  world,  your  com- 
panions and  the  parish,  see  that  you  realize  the  sacred  act  in 
which  you  are  engaged.  Your  mind  must  be  centred  on  the 
great  God  whom  you  are  to  receive,  and  you  certainly  know 
that  you  owe  Him  fervent  love  and  holy  fear.  St.  Thomas  a 
Kempis,  in  his  "  Following  of  Christ,^'  says,  "  If  you  had  the 
purity  of  the  angels  or  the  sanctity  of  a  John  the  Baptist, 
you  would  not  be  worthy  to  touch  this  Holy  Sacrament." 
Holy  men  and  women  know  that  they  are  not  good  enough 
to  go  to  communion;  still  they  go  because  Our  Lord  draws 
them  to  it.  With  what  severity  they  judge  themselves  and 
make  their  confession,  so  that  every  stain  of  sin  may  be 
effaced!  It  is  a  dreadful  action  to  go  to  Jesus  and  receive 
Him  who  is  the  God  of  the  universe. 

After  this  great  number  of  people  had  been  fed,  they  were 
enthusiastic;  they  wished  to  take  Jesus  and  make  Him  their 
king.  But  Our  Lord  wanted  no  temporal  dominions,  so  He 
hid  Himself  from  them.  He  wishes  to  be  king  of  your  heart. 
After  having  received  Our  Lord,  it  is  your  duty  to  make  Him 
the  king  and  master  of  your  soul.  Be  faithful  to  Him,  be 
not  a  disciple  like  Judas,  who  betrayed  Him.  No  longer  al- 
low the  devil  to  have  the  direction  of  your  actions.  Let  Our 
Lord  alone  have  His  throne  there,  Jesus  the  good  Master,  the 
Prince  of  peace,  the  God  of  joy  and  of  all  consolation.  A 
great  missionary  once  laying  his  finger  on  a  wicked  man's 
heart  asked,  '^Who  reigns  in  this  heart,  God  or  the  devil?" 
Ask  yourselves  the  same  question,  and  your  conscience  will 


Passion  Swnda/y,  111 

give  the  answer;  in  fact,  you  know  it  already,  if  you  are  in 
real  earnest  about  your  eternal  welfare. 


PASSION  SUNDAY. 

GospEl,.  John  viii.  46-59.  AX  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  the  multi- 
tude of  the  Jews:  Which  of  you  shall  convince  me  of  sin?  If  I 
say  the  truth  to  you,  why  do  you  not  believe  me?  He  that  is  of 
God,  heareth  the  words  of  God.  Therefore  you  hear  them  not,  be- 
cause you  are  not  of  God.  The  Jews  therefore  answered  and  said  to 
him:  Do  not  we  say  well  that  thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a 
devil?  Jesus  answered:  I  have  not  a  devil;  but  I  honor  my  Father, 
and  you  have  dishonored  me.  But  I  seek  not  my  own  glory:  there 
is  one  that  seeketh  and  judgeth.  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you:  if  any 
man  keep  my  word,  he  shall  not  see  death  forever.  The  Jews  there- 
fore said:  Now  we  know  that  thou  hast  a  devil.  Abraham  is  dead, 
and  the  prophets:  and  thou  sayest:  If  any  man  keep  my  word,  he 
shall  not  taste  death  forever.  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father 
Abraham,  who  is  dead?  And  the  prophets  are  dead.  Whom  dost 
thou  make  thyself?  Jesus  answered:  If  I  glorify  myself,  my  glory 
is  nothing.  It  is  my  Father  that  glorifieth  me,  of  whom  you  say 
that  he  is  your  God,  and  you  have  not  known  him:  but  I  know  him: 
and  if  I  shall  say  that  I  know  him  not,  I  shall  be  like  to  you,  a  liar. 
But  I  do  know  him,  and  do  keep  his  word.  Abraham  your  father 
rejoiced  that  he  might  see  my  day:  he  saw  it,  and  was  glad.  The 
Jews  therefore  said  to  him:  Thou  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and 
hast  thou  seen  Abraham?  Jesus  said  to  them:  Amen,  amen,  I  say 
to  you,  before  Abraham  was  made,  I  am.  They  took  up  stones  there- 
fore to  cast  at  him:  but  Jesus  hid  himself,  and  went  out  of  the 
temple. 

*mB  PHARISEES  ACCUSE  OUR  LORD. 

Our  divine  Lord  proves  to  the  Jews  that  they  are  not 
worthy  of  His  efforts  to  convert  them,  because  they  did  not, 
nor  did  their  forefathers,  ever  listen  to  God's  commands. 
They  were  obstinate  and  accused  Him  of  wrongdoing;  Our 
Lord  makes  the  clear  demand,  "  Which  of  you  shall  convince 
Me  of  sin?  "  and  adds,  "  If  I  say  the  truth  to  you,  why  do 
you  not  believe  Me?   He  that  is  of  God,  heareth  the  words  of 


112  The  Pharisees  Accuse  Our  Lord, 

God;  therefore  you  hear  them  not  because  you  are  not  of 
God." 

Yes,  my  dearly  beloved  young  people,  Jesus  Christ  could 
say  with  the  fullest  truth  that  He  was  without  sin,  for  He  is 
the  immaculate  Lamb,  the  spotless  Lily,  and  Sanctity  itself. 
He  is  God,  Who  cannot  sin.  It  was  a  blasphemy  to  call  Christ 
a  sinner  and  companion  of  wicked  people,  when  they  knew 
from  His  public  life  that  He  was  guilty  of  no  wrongdoing, 
though  they  often  accused  Him  of  it.  But  Our  Lord  refutes 
these  calumnies,  and  challenges  His  accusers  to  bring  proof 
of  their  accusations:  and  on  this  day,  so  near  His  sacred  Pas- 
sion, He  vindicates  His  whole  life  before  them.  Can  we  say 
the  same  thing  of  ourselves?  With  truth  it  can  be  said  of  us 
that  we  are  sinners.  St.  John  tells  us  in  his  Gospel:  "  If  we 
say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth 
is  not  in  us.'' 

Your  own  conscience  tells  you,  my  dear  young  friends, 
that  often  and  often  have  you  sinned.  Many  of  you  might 
say  with  truth  that  you  have  committed  many  sins  and  seri- 
ous ones  too.  How  was  it  that  you  fell  into  sin  so  easily? 
You  never  considered  the  heinousness  of  sin — that  was  the 
reason;  you  considered  sin  so  slight  a  matter,  you  even 
thought  it  an  occasion  to  have  a  little  fun,  but  as  to  the  seri- 
ousness of  it,  you  never  gave  it  a  thought.  St.  Augustine 
says  that  sin  is  the  greatest  of  all  evils,  an  infinite  evil,  the 
only  evil.  It  is  an  infinite  evil,  because  the  offence  is  di- 
rected against  God,  who  is  infinite  in  His  holiness.  It  is  an 
insult  to  God.  Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  despise  God,  and 
insult  God,  and  injure  as  far  as  lies  in  your  power  the  infinite 
glory  of  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth?  The  seriousness 
of  an  injury  is  estimated  by  the  dignity  of  the  person  in- 
sulted. Should  you  strike  a  companion  in  the  face,  you  have 
done  a  bad  act;  if  you  slapped  a  minister  of  God's  altar,  you 
certainly  see  that  your  offence  is  greater;  if  you  were  bold 
enough  to  do  it  to  a  bishop,  it  won  Id  be  more  serious  yet.  If 
you  should  raise  your  hand  to  strike  the  Vicar  of  Christ  on 


Passion  Sunday,  113 

earth,  the  Pope,  what  horror  for  the  act  would  not  the  whole 
world  feel!  But  to  offend  God,  who  is  infinitely  superior  in 
greatness  to  a  bishop  or  a  priest  or  the  Holy  Father,  ought 
to  be  to  our  hearts  a  most  abominable  crime.  God  is  that  in- 
finite Being  who  reigns  in  heaven,  who  has  created  all  there 
is  in  heaven  and  on  earth;  He  calls  to  the  sea  and  it  becomes 
calm.  He  who  called  the  sun  into  existence,  and  who  could 
blow  it  out  again  like  the  flame  of  a  candle,  is  the  all-power- 
ful Lord,  yet  it  is  against  Him  that  the  sinner  raises  his 
hand.  St.  Bernard  says,  '^  Just  think  that  an  atom  of  a  crea- 
ture, an  atom  of  dust  so  small  and  insignificant  that  without 
the  aid  of  a  microscope  one  would  not  know  of  its  existence, 
rises  in  rebellion  against  this  King  of  kings."  Is  it  not  great 
boldness  in  this  nothingness  to  stand  up  against  such  power? 
You  remember  the  fate  of  the  devil;  he,  too,  in  his  pride,  re- 
volted against  his  Maker,but  what  was  he  in  the  hands  of  God? 
powerful  as  God  had  made  him  and  immortal,  still  God  could 
easily  hurl  him  into  the  abyss  of  hell.  How  terrible  a  thing 
it  is  to  have  God  for  our  enemy!  If  we  brought  on  ourselves 
the  hatred  of  a  king  or  any  potentate,  we  would  have  to  fear 
very  much,  lest  he  would  do  us  a  great  deal  of  harm;  we 
would  be  in  constant  dread  of  being  thrown  into  prison.  The 
anger  of  God  is  a  great  deal  more  to  be  dreaded;  men  can 
inflict  on  others  punishments  which  are  of  short  duration,  and 
there  is  a  limit  to  the  pain  which  a  man  may  endure.  But 
God's  punishment  is  everlasting,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
pains  which  He  can  inflict  is  unlimited.  When  God  grows 
tired  of  man's  impudence,  and  the  measure  of  his  sins  is 
filled.  He  flings  him  into  the  abyss  of  hell.  We  are  told  to 
fear  Him  who  has  the  power  of  sending  a  soul  to  hell,  for  that 
is  a  dreadful  affliction.  Let  us  make  a  serious  meditation  on 
this,  that  to  offend  almighty  God  is  a  diabolical  act  of  au- 
dacity. 

Not  only  do  we  offend  and  insult  a  good  God  when  we  com- 
mit a  sin,  but  we  sign  ourselves  over  to  the  slavery  of  the 
devil,  who  comes  to  our  soul  and  deprives  it  of  all  that  is  ad- 


114  The  Pharisees  Accuse  Our  Lord. 

mirable;  makes  her  a  miserable,  poor,  despicable  object,  and 
takes  away  all  her  right  to  heaven.  All  the  merits  and  good 
deeds  are  destroyed  by  a  sin,  the  confessions,  the  holy  com- 
munions, the  works  of  charity,  all  are  gone,  and  we  stand  be- 
fore God  without  anything  to  recommend  us.  Suppose  a 
gardener  planted  valuable  fruit  trees  in  his  garden,  and  spent 
on  them  much  time  and  money;  they  had  borne  excellent 
fruit  for  several  years,  but  one  night  a  heavy  frost  killed  the 
trees  and  fruit.  What  would  be  the  feeling  of  that  man  when 
he  entered  his  garden  and  saw  all  the  fruit  lying  on  the 
ground,  and  the  leaves  of  the  trees  black  and  blighted?  He 
would  be  sorry  enough  to  burst  into  tears  and  certainly  into 
lamentations. 

Sin  has  done  you  more  harm  than  this  blighting  frost.  Has 
it  not  deprived  you  of  that  precious  fruit  which  you  are 
caring  for  so  tenderly  to  bring  to  maturity,  in  order  that  you 
may  by  means  of  it  gain  heaven?  The  trees  of  virtue  that 
bore  such  noble  fruit  have  been  ruthlessly  torn  up;  what 
dreadful  ruin,  what  chaos  does  not  sin  produce  in  the  soul? 
Is  it  possible  that  a  person  can  think  lightly  of  such  a  mis- 
fortune? People  may  live  months  and  years  in  those  sins, 
and  never  think  of  the  terrible  state  they  are  in.  They  do 
not  see  the  condition  of  the  soul,  and  consequently  it  gives 
them  little  concern.  Father  Segneri  says,  "  If  every  time  a 
person  blasphemed,  God  would  have  his  tongue  swollen  to 
such  a  degree  that  it  would  fill  his  mouth;  if  at  every  theft 
the  hands  would  lose  their  power;  if  after  an  immodest  act 
the  whole  body  would  be  covered  with  a  leprosy,  think  ye, 
there  would  be  so  many  in  this  world  addicted  to  such  sin  ?  " 
But  since  the  damage  is  done  to  the  soul,  we  do  not  consider 
it  very  much. 

Now,  my  dear  young  people,  if  you  are  in  sin,  are  you  go- 
ing to  remain  so  during  these  penitential  days?  Think  with 
sorrow  of  your  sins,  and  labor  to  eradicate  them  from  your 
heart.  Make  a  sincere,  straightforward  confession  at  Easter, 
and   approach   the   table   of  the   Lamb   of   God.     Be   not 


Passion  Sunday.  115 

obstinate  as  so  many  are  who  cannot  appreciate  anything 
religious. 

Our  Lord  did  all  that  lay  in  His  power  to  make  the  Jews 
understand  that  He  was  really  the  Messias;  it  was  not  for 
want  of  proof,  or  for  the  want  of  the  grace,  but  instead  of  be- 
lieving they  only  blasphemed  Him,  and  said  He  was  pos- 
sessed by  the  devil. 

This  seems  to  be  the  picture  of  the  world  at  the  present 
time.  Our  Lord  wants  to  illuminate  the  hearts  and  intellects 
of  sinners,  but  they  wish  to  remain  in  their  ignorance. 
He  wants  to  soften  their  hearts,  but  they  will  not  let  Him: 
it  is  not  therefore  through  want  of  intellect  nor  of  proof  nor 
of  the  grace  of  God  that  these  people  will  not  change;  it 
would  almost  require  the  miracle  of  a  new  creation  to  put 
other  hearts  in  them.  And  He  will  not  destroy  our  liberty,  for 
human  liberty  is  precious  even  to  almighty  God.  What  must 
be  the  feelings  of  those  wretched  parents  who  are  so  unhappy 
as  to  have  wicked  sons  or  daughters?  When  they  advise  their 
children  to  go  to  confession  and  Mass,  to  become  respectable 
Christians,  they  receive  a  flat  refusal,  perhaps  even  an  insult. 
I  do  not  suppose  that  any  of  you  have  come  to  such  an  ex- 
treme; but  we  must  all  fear  the  first  steps  in  sin.  The  first 
is  never  made  alone,  there  come  other  steps  afterward.  Sin 
is  like  fire  set  to  a  house,  the  more  it  spreads  the  more  it  in- 
creases in  heat  and  fury.  Of  course  it  is  an  old  and  trite  say- 
ing, that  a  great  fire  may  spring  from  a  spark,  which  you 
could  at  one  time  have  extinguished  by  setting  your  foot 
on  it.  I  am  intimately  acquainted  with  a  young  man  of  my 
parish  who  in  his  youth  was  a  charming  example  of  inno- 
cence and  happiness;  he  was  much  with  me,  and  I  enjoyed 
his  boyish  companionship  very  much.  In  course  of  time  he 
became  estranged,  and  I  knew  he  had  lost  his  innocence.  I 
spoke  to  him,  but  all  friendship  was  gone;  he  hated  me,  and 
avoided  me  as  if  I  had  done  him  some  great  wrong.  Be  on 
your  guard,  and  let  not  sin  into  your  heart;  it  is  too  horrible 
a  thing  to  become  familiar  with.    If  you  hate  sin  truly,  and 


116  The  Eni/ry  mto  Jerusalem, 

you  really  hear  the  voice  of  Jesus,  open  your  heart  to  Him, 
and  He  will  make  you  happy  at  Easter,  and  in  fact  at  every 
one  of  your  communions.  Our  Lord  is  happy  to  come  to 
your  soul;  He  will  love  everything  in  your  simple  dwelling 
as  long  as  it  is  not  sin;  He  will  be  pleased  with  the  little 
sacrifices,  the  smallest  preparations;  He  will  see  that  you 
have  a  good  will.  He  will  not  disdain  your  humble  attempts 
at  virtue.  The  mother  who  teaches  the  babe  to  talk  says 
foolish  words  and  repeats  them  over  and  over;  she  is  teach- 
ing the  child.  Then  prepare  your  heart  for  the  coming  of 
Our  Lord  at  Easter,  and  He  will  truly  say  to  you  also,  "  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  Me." 
What  an  intimacy  between  Jesus  and  the  soul!  Who  could 
refuse  that  loving  friendship?  With  all  my  heart,  0  Jesus! 
I  cry  to  Thee, "  Yes,  come,  0  divine  Jesus;  come  to  my  soul!  '^ 

PALM    SUNDAY. 

Gospel.  The  Passion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  according  to  Matt, 
xxvi.  and  xxvii.  At  tJmt  time:  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples:  You 
know  that  after  two  days  shall  be  the  Pasch,  and  the  Son  of  man  shall 
be  delivered  up  to  be  crucified.  Then  were  gathered  together  the 
chief  priests  and  ancients  of  the  people  into  the  court  of  the  high- 
priest,  who  was  called  Caiphas:  and  they  consulted  together,  that  by 
subtilty  they  might  apprehend  Jesus  and  put  him  to  death.  But 
they  said:  Not  on  the  festival  day,  lest  perhaps  there  should  be  a 
tumult  among  the  people.  And  when  Jesus  was  in  Bethania,  in  the 
house  of  Simon  the  leper,  there  came  to  him  a  woman  having  an 
alabaster  box  of  precious  ointment,  and  poured  it  on  his  head  as  he 
was  at  table.  And  the  disciples  seeing  it,  had  indignation,  saying: 
To  what  purpose  is  this  waste?  for  this  might  have  been  sold  for 
much,  and  given  to  the  poor.  And  Jesus  knowing  it,  said  to  them: 
Why  do  you  trouble  this  woman?  For  she  hath  wrought  a  good  work 
upon  me.  For  the  poor  you  have  always  with  you:  but  me  you 
have  not  always.  For  she,  in  pouring  this  ointment  upon  my  body, 
hath  done  it  for  my  burial.  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  wheresoever  this 
gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world,  that  also  which  she  hath 
done,  shall  be  told  for  a  memory  of  her.  Then  went  one  of  the  twelve, 
who  was  called  Judas  Iscariot,  to  the  chief  priests.    And  said  to  them: 


Pahn  Sunday.  llT 

What  will  you  give  me,  and  I  will  deliver  him  unto  you?  But  they 
appointed  him  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  And  from  thenceforth  he  sought 
opportunity  to  betray  him.  And  on  the  first  day  of  the  Azymes  the 
disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying:  Where  wilt  thou  that  we  prepare 
for  thee  to  eat  the  Pasch?  But  Jesus  said:  Go  ye  into  the  city  to 
a  certain  man,  and  say  to  him:  The  master  saith:  My  time  is  near 
at  hand,  with  thee  I  make  the  Pasch  with  my  disciples.  And  the 
disciples  did  as  Jesus  had  appointed  to  them,  and  they  prepared  the 
Pasch.  But  when  it  was  evening,  he  sat  down  with  his  twelve  dis- 
ciples. And  whilst  they  were  eating,  he  said:  Amen  I  say  to  you, 
that  one  of  you  is  about  to  betray  me.  And  they  being  very  much 
troubled,  began  every  one  to  say:  Is  it  I,  Lord?  But  he  answering 
said:  He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  he  shall  betray 
me.  The  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth,  as  it  is  written  of  him:  but  wo 
to  that  man  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed:  it  were 
better  for  him  if  that  man  had  not  been  born.  And  Judas  that  be- 
trayed him,  answering  said:  Is  it  I,  Eabbi?  He  saith  to  him:  Thou 
hast  said  it.  And  whilst  they  were  at  supper,  Jesus  took  bread,  and 
blessed,  and  broke:  and  gave  to  his  disciples,  and  said:  Take  ye, 
and  eat:  this  is  my  body.  And  taking  the  chalice  he  gave  thanks; 
and  gave  to  them,  saying:  Drink  ye  all  of  this.  For  this  is  my  blood 
of  the  new  testament,  which  shall  be  shed  for  many  unto  the  remission 
of  sins.  And  I  say  to  you  I  will  not  drink  from  henceforth  of  this 
fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  when  I  shall  drink  it  with  you  new 
in  the  kingdom  of  my  Father.  And  a  hymn  being  said,  they  went 
out  unto  mount  Olivet.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  them:  All  you  shall  be 
scandalized  in  me  this  night.  For  it  is  written:  I  will  strike  the 
shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock  shall  be  dispersed.  But  after 
I  shall  be  risen  again,  I  will  go  before  you  into  Galilee.  And  Peter 
answering,  said  to  him:  Although  all  shall  be  scandalized  in  thee, 
I  will  never  be  scandalized.  Jesus  said  to  him:  Amen  I  say  to  thee, 
that  in  this  night  before  the  cock  crow,  thou  wilt  deny  me  thrice. 
Peter  saith  to  him :  Yea,  though  I  should  die  with  thee,  I  will  not 
deny  thee.  And  in  like  manner  said  all  the  disciples.  Then  Jesus 
came  with  them  into  a  country  place  which  is  called  Gethsemani, 
and  he  said  to  his  disciples:  Sit  you  here,  till  I  go  yonder  and  pray. 
And  taking  with  him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  he  began 
to  grow  sorrowful  and  to  be  sad.  Then  he  saith  to  them:  My  soul 
is  sorrowful  even  unto  death:  stay  you  here  and  watch  with  me. 
And  going  a  little  further,  he  fell  upon  his  face,  praying,  and  saying: 
My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  chalice  pass  from  me.  Neverthe- 
less not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt.    And  he  cometh  to  his  disciples: 


118  The  Entry  into  Jerusalem, 

and  findeth  them  asleep,  and  he  saith  to  Peter:  What!  could  you 
not  watch  one  hour  with  me?  Watch  ye,  and  pray  that  ye  enter 
not  into  temptation.  The  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  weak. 
Again  the  second  time  he  went  and  prayed,  saying:  My  Father,  if 
this  chalice  may  not  pass  away,  but  I  must  drink  it,  thy  will  be 
done.  And  he  cometh  again,  and  findeth  them  sleeping:  for  their 
eyes  were  heavy.  And  leaving  them,  he  went  again:  and  he  prayed 
the  third  time,  saying  the  self-same  word.  Then  he  cometh  to  his 
disciples  and  saith  to  them:  Sleep  ye  now  and  take  your  rest:  be- 
hold the  hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  into 
the  hands  of  sinners.  Rise,  let  us  go:  behold  he  is  at  hand  that  will 
betray  me.  As  he  yet  spoke,  behold  Judas,  one  of  the  twelve  came, 
and  with  him  a  great  multitude  with  swords  and  clubs,  sent  from  the 
chief  priests  and  the  ancients  of  the  people.  And  he  that  betrayed 
him,  gave  them  a  sign,  saying:  Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  is  he, 
hold  him  fast.  And  forthwith  coming  to  Jesus,  he  said:  Hail,  Rabbi. 
And  he  kissed  him.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Friend,  whereto  art 
thou  come?  Then  they  came  up  and  laid  hands  on  Jesus,  and  held 
him.  And  behold  one  of  them,  that  were  with  Jesus,  stretching 
forth  his  hand,  drew  out  his  sword,  and  striking  the  servant  of  the 
high-priest,  cut  off  his  ear.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  him:  Put  up  again 
thy  sword  into  its  place:  For  all  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish 
with  the  sword.  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  ask  my  Father,  and 
he  will  give  me  presently  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels?  How 
then  shall  the  scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  so  it  must  be  done?  In  that 
same  hour  Jesus  said  to  the  multitudes :  You  are  come  out  as  it  were 
to  a  robber  with  swords  and  clubs  to  apprehend  me.  I  sat  daily  with 
you  teaching  in  the  temple,  and  you  laid  not  hands  on  me.  Now 
all  this  was  done,  that  the  scriptures  of  the  prophets  might  be  ful- 
filled. Then  the  disciples  all  leaving  him,  fled.  But  they  holding 
Jesus  led  him  to  Caiphas  the  high-priest,  where  the  scribes  and  the 
ancients  were  assembled.  And  Peter  followed  him  afar  oflF,  even  to 
the  court  of  the  high-priest.  And  going  in,  he  sat  with  the  servants, 
that  he  might  see  the  end.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the  whole 
council  sought  false  witness  against  Jesus,  that  they  might  put  him 
to  death :  and  they  found  not,  whereas  many  false  witnesses  had  come 
in.  And  last  of  all  there  came  two  false  witnesses,  and  they  said: 
This  man  said,  I  am  able  to  destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  after 
three  days  to  rebuild  it.  And  the  high-priest  rising  up,  said  to  him: 
Answereth  thou  nothing  to  the  things  which  these  witness  against 
thee?  But  Jesus  held  his  peace.  And  the  high-priest  said  to  him: 
I  adjure  thee  by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us  if  thou  be  the 


Palmh  Sunday,  119 

Christ  the  Son  of  God.  Jesus  saith  to  him:  Thou  hast  said  it;  never- 
theless I  say  to  you,  hereafter  you  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  power  of  God,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven.  Then  the  high-priest  rent  his  garments,  saying:  He  hath 
blasphemed:  what  further  need  have  we  of  witnesses?  Behold,  how 
you  have  heard  the  blasphemy;  what  think  you?  But  they  an- 
swering said:  He  is  guilty  of  death.  Then  did  they  spit  in  his  face, 
and  buffet  him,  and  others  struck  his  face  with  the  palms  of  their 
hands,  saying:  Prophesy  unto  us,  O  Christ;  who  is  he  that  struck 
thee?  But  Peter  sat  without  in  the  court:  and  there  came  to  him 
a  servant  maid,  saying:  Thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  the  Galilean. 
But  he  denied  before  them  all,  saying:  I  know  not  what  thou  say  est. 
And  as  he  went  -at  of  the  gate  another  maid  saw  him,  and  she  saith 
to  them  that  were  there:  This  man  also  was  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
And  again  he  denied  with  an  oath:  That  I  know  not  the  man.  And 
after  a  little  while  they  came  that  stood  by,  and  said  to  Peter:  Surely 
thou  also  art  one  of  them:  for  even  thy  speech  doth  discover  thee. 
Then  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear  that  he  knew  not  the  man. 
And  immediately  the  cock  crew.  And  Peter  remembered  the  word  of 
Jesus  which  he  had  said:  Before  the  cock  crow,  thou  wilt  deny  me 
thrice.  And  going  forth  he  wept  bitterly.  And  when  morning  was 
come,  all  the  chief  priests  and  ancients  of  the  people  took  counsel 
against  Jesus,  that  they  might  put  him  to  death.  And  they  brought 
him  bound,  and  delivered  him  to  Pontius  Pilate  the  governor.  Then 
Judas  who  betrayed  him  seeing  that  he  was  condemned,  repenting 
himself,  brought  back  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief  priests 
and  ancients,  saying:  I  have  sinned  in  betraying  innocent  blood.  But 
they  said:  What  is  that  to  us?  Look  thou  to  it.  And  casting  down 
the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple  he  departed:  and  went  and  hanged 
himself  with  an  halter.  But  the  chief  priests  having  taken  the  pieces 
of  silver,  said:  It  is  not  lawful  to  put  them  into  the  corbona,  be- 
cause it  is  the  price  of  blood.  And  after  they  had  consulted  together, 
they  bought  with  them  the  potter's  field  to  be  a  burying-place  for 
strangers.  For  this  cause  that  field  was  called  Haceldama,  that  is, 
the  field  of  blood,  even  to  this  day.  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which 
was  spoken  by  Jeremias  the  prophet,  saying:  And  they  took  the 
thirty  pieces  of  silver,  the  price  of  him  that  was  prized,  whom  they 
prized  of  the  children  of  Israel :  and  they  gave  them  unto  the  potter's 
field,  as  the  Lord  appointed  to  me.  And  Jesus  stood  before  the  gov- 
ernor, and  the  governor  asked  him,  saying:  Art  thou  the  king  of  the 
Jews?  Jesus  saith  to  him:  Thou  sayest  it.  And  wh'^n  he  was  ac- 
cused by  the  chief  priests  and  ancients,  he  answered  nothing.    Then 


120  The  Entry  into  Jerusalem, 

Pilate  saith  to  him:  Dost  not  thou  hear  how  great  testimonies  they 
allege  against  thee?  And  he  answered  him  to  never  a  word:  so  that 
the  governor  wondered  exceedingly.  Now  upon  the  solemn  day  the 
governor  was  accustomed  to  release  to  the  people  one  prisoner,  whom 
they  would;  and  he  had  then  a  notorious  prisoner  that  was  called 
Barabbas.  They  therefore  being  gathered  together,  Pilate  said: 
Whom  will  you  that  I  release  to  you,  Barabbas,  or  Jesus  that  is  called 
Christ?  For  he  knew  that  for  envy  they  had  delivered  him.  And  as 
he  was  sitting  in  the  place  of  judgment  his  wife  sent  to  him,  saying: 
Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man;  for  I  have  suffered 
many  things  this  day  in  a  dream  because  of  him.  But  the  chief 
priests  and  ancients  persuaded  the  people  that  they  should  ask  Barab- 
bas, and  make  Jesus  away.  And  the  governor  answering,  said  to 
them:  Whether  will  you  of  the  two  to  be  released  unto  you?  But 
they  said,  Barabbas.  Pilate  saith  to  them:  What  shall  I  do  then  with 
Jesus  that  is  called  Christ?  They  say  all:  Let  him  be  crucified.  The 
governor  said  to  them:  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done?  But  they 
cried  out  the  more,  saying:  Let  him  be  crucifi.ed.  And  Pilate  seeing 
that  he  prevailed  nothing,  but  that  rather  a  tumult  was  made :  taking 
water,  washed  his  hands  before  the  people,  saying:  I  am  innocent  of 
the  blood  of  this  just  man;  look  you  to  it.  And  the  whole  people 
answering,  said:  His  blood  be  upon  us  and  upon  our  children.  Then 
he  released  to  them  Barabbas:  and  having  scourged  Jesus,  delivered 
him  unto  them  to  be  crucified.  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor 
taking  Jesus  into  the  hall,  gathered  together  unto  him  the  whole 
band:  and  stripping  him,  they  put  a  scarlet  cloak  about  him.  And 
platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it  upon  his  head,  and  a  reed  in 
his  right  hand.  And  bowing  the  knee  before  him,  they  mocked  him, 
saying:  Hail,  king  of  the  Jews.  And  spitting  upon  him,  they  took 
the  reed,  and  struck  his  head.  And  after  they  had  mocked  him,  they 
took  off  the  cloak  from  him  and  put  on  him  his  own  garments,  and 
led  him  away  to  crucify  him.  And  going  out  they  found  a  man  of 
Cyrene,  named  Simon:  him  they  forced  to  take  up  his  cross.  And 
they  came  to  the  place  which  is  called  Golgotha,  which  is  the  place 
of  Calvary.  And  they  gave  him  wine  to  drink  mingled  with  gall. 
And  when  he  had  tasted,  he  would  not  drink.  And  after  they  had 
crucified  him,  they  divided  his  garments;  casting  lots,  that  it  might 
be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet,  saying:  They  divided 
my  garments  among  them,  and  upon  my  vesture  they  cast  lots.  And 
they  sat  and  watched  him.  And  they  put  over  his  head  his  cause, 
written:  This  is  Jesus  the  King  of  the  Jews.  Then  were  cruci- 
fied with  him  two  thieves:   one  on  the  right  hand,  and  c«ie  on  the 


Palm  Sunday,  121 

left.  And  they  that  passed  by  blasphemed  him,  wagging  their  heads, 
and  saying:  Vah,  thou  that  destroy  est  the  temple  of  Grod,  and  in 
three  days  dost  rebuild  it:  save  thy  own  self:  if  thou  be  the  Son  of 
God,  come  down  from  the  cross.  In  like  manner  also  the  chief  priests 
with  the  scribes  and  ancients  mocking,  said:  He  saved  others,  himself 
he  cannot  save:  if  he  be  the  king  of  Israel,  let  him  now  come  down 
from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  him.  He  trusted  in  God:  let  him 
now  deliver  him  if  he  will  have  him:  for  he  said:  I  am  the  Son  of 
God.  And  the  self-same  thing  the  thieves  also,  that  were  crucified 
with  him,  reproached  him  with.  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  there  was 
darkness  over  the  whole  earth,  until  the  ninth  hour.  And  about  the 
ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying:  Eli,  Eli,  lamma 
sabacthani?  that  is.  My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me? 
And  some  that  stood  there  and  heard,  said:  This  man  calleth  Elias. 
And  immediately  one  of  them  running  took  a  sponge,  and  filled  it 
with  vinegar,  and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him  to  drink.  And  the 
others  said:  Let  be,  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  deliver 
him.  And  Jesus  again  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  yielded  up  the  ghost. 
And  behold  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  two  from  the  top  even 
to  the  bottom;  and  the  earth  quaked,  and  the  rocks  were  rent.  And 
the  graves  were  opened:  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  that  had 
slept,  arose,  and  coming  out  of  the  tombs  after  his  resurrection,  came 
into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared  unto  many.  Now  the  centurion,  and 
they  that  were  with  him  watching  Jesus,  having  seen  the  earthquake 
and  the  things  that  were  done,  were  sore  afraid,  saying:  Indeed  this 
was  the  Son  of  God.  And  there  were  many  women  afar  oif,  who  had 
followed  Jesus  from  Galilee,  ministering  unto  him:  among  whom  was 
Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  mother  of  James  and  Joseph,  and  the 
mother  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee.  And  when  it  was  evening,  there  came 
a  certain  ricli  man  of  Arimathea,  named  Joseph;  who  also  himself 
was  a  disciple  of  Jesus;  he  went  to  Pilate  and  asked  the  body  of 
Jesus.  Then  Pilate  commanded  that  the  boay  should  be  delivered. 
And  Joseph  taking  the  body,  wrapped  it  up  in  a  clean  linen  cloth; 
and  laid  it  in  his  own  new  monument,  which  he  had  hewed  out  in  a 
rock.  And  he  rolled  a  great  stone  to  the  door  of  the  monument  and 
went  his  way.  And  there  was  there  Mary  Magdalene,  and  the  other 
Mary  sitting  over  against  the  sepulchre.  And  the  next  day,  which 
followed  the  day  of  preparation,  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees 
came  together  to  Pilate,  saying:  Sir,  we  have  remembered  that  that 
seducer  said,  while  he  was  yet  alive:  After  three  days  I  will  rise  again. 
Command  therefore  the  sepulchre  to  be  guarded  until  the  third  day: 
lest  perhaps  his  disciples  come  and  steal  him  away,  and  say  to  the 


122  The  Entry  into  Jerusalem. 

people:  He  is  risen  from  the  dead:  and  the  last  error  shall  be  worse 
than  the  first.  Pilate  said  to  them:  You  have  a  guard:  go  guard  it 
as  you  know.  And  they  departing,  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing 
the  stone,  and  setting  guards. 


THE   ENTRY   INTO   JERUSALEM. 

Splendid  was  the  triumphal  entry  of  Our  Lord  into 
Jerusalem.  Among  that  crowd  of  people  who  welcomed  Our 
Lord,  there  were  a  large  number  of  children  of  the  Jews,  at- 
tracted no  doubt  by  the  enthusiasm  of  their  parents.  These 
young  ones  were,  if  possible,  even  more  enthusiastic  than 
their  elders.  Their  cries  were  encouraged,  and  Our  Lord  re- 
buked those  who  would  dampen  their  youthful  ardor  in  any 
way.  We  might  know  from  this,  my  dear  children,  that  it  is 
not  out  of  place  to  be  glad,  and  even  when  the  proper  time 
comes,  to  be  noisy  at  play. 

But  this  is  a  holy  time — ^let  us  not  be  distracted  by  noise. 
Let  us  rather  turn  our  thoughts  to  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord. 
The  Church  puts  on  deep  and  dark  purple  to  show  that  she 
is  doing  penance. 

Magnificent,  therefore,  was  the  entry  of  Our  Lord  into 
Jerusalem;  loud  acclamations  accompanied  Him.  They 
would  have  made  Him  king  on  other  occasions,  but  He  went 
away  and  hid  Himself,  declining  all  such  honors.  This  day, 
however,  the  whole  multitude  is  carried  away  with  joy;  they 
pay  Him  royal  homage  and  He  allows  it.  Where  are  now  the 
enemies  of  Christ?  They  have  hid  on  this  day,  and  dare  not 
make  their  appearance;  when  they  do  they  are  quickly  si- 
lenced by  Our  Lord  Himself,  who  assures  us  that  if  the  old 
and  young,  and  especially  the  young,  were  hindered  from  giv- 
ing vent  to  their  jubilation,  even  the  stones  on  the  roadside 
would  cry  out.  Branches  of  trees  are  cut  down  and  are  borne 
in  the  hands  of  the  people.  Smaller  greens  are  strewn  on  the 
way,  and  a  perfect  carpet  is  made  of  the  people's  cloaks 
spread  on  the  roads  over  which  Jesus  is  to  pass. 


Palm  Sunday,  123 

This  was  the  celebration  of  the  first  Palm  Sunday,  my 
dear  children.  Palms  are  now  publicly  blessed  in  the  church; 
a  procession  of  altar  boys  goes  through  the  aisles  bearing 
palm  leaves,  and  everybody  carries  palms  home  to  their 
houses  to  keep  them  because  they  are  blessed. 

Soon,  however,  the  scene  will  change.  Soon  this  enthu- 
siasm will  die  out,  and  the  enemies  of  Jesus  will  show  them- 
selves again.  Those  who  cried  out  the  loudest  are  now 
astonished  at  their  boldness,  and  they  ask  themselves  to  what 
it  will  lead.  Then  they  are  told  that  reparation  must  be 
made;  this  dangerous  man  must  be  got  out  of  the  way;  He 
must  die  to  destroy  His  pretensions  to  royalty.  Our  Lord  is 
shocked  most  of  all  by  the  instability  of  human  affection, 
the  ingratitude,  the  desertion  of  Him,  the  treachery  of  His 
friends.  Yes,  my  dear  children,  one  thing  we  must  resolve, 
and  that  is,  to  be  strong  in  our  faith  and  faithful  unto  death 
to  our  divine  Master.  When  you  are  preparing  for  confes- 
sion or  communion  you  are  in  earnest  in  your  promises  to 
Jesus,  but  soon  the  humor  changes;  you  grow  cold  again; 
you  become  careless  in  your  prayers  and  fall  into  sin.  One 
day  you  cry  out:  ^^Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David!  Blessed 
is  He  who  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord!  "  But  soon  you 
change  your  mind,  and  think  the  friendship  of  Jesus  is  too 
tyrannical;  it  exacts  too  much  of  you  and  you  Join  the  multi- 
tude of  the  wicked  who  mutter:  "  This  Jesus  subverts  the 
heart  of  the  people.  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar,  the  world, 
and  our  passions.    Away  with  Him  to  the  cross." 

Our  Lord  in  His  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem  was  a 
real  king — a  real  God.  He  held  His  enemies  down  by  the 
power  of  His  omnipotence.  There  is  a  lesson  of  confidence 
in  this  providence  of  God.  Dear  children,  the  Church  has 
often  been  persecuted.  Men  have  been  ashamed  of  her;  they 
have  fought  against  her,  and  strong  enemies  they  were  too — 
stronger  than  the  Church  in  a  worldly  sense.  It  has  often 
been  predicted  that  the  Church  would  come  to  ruin.  You 
may  have  noticed  these  persecutions  yourselves,  dear  chil- 


124  TTie  Entry  into  Jerusalem. 

dren,  in  reading  history.  We  have  at  least  read  of  the  power- 
ful enemies  against  the  infant  Church;  the  persecuting  Jews; 
the  Komans  who  martyred  hundreds  of  thousands.  I  con- 
ceive from  this  the  firm  conviction  that  the  Church  will 
stand  forever.  Remember  that  you  belong  to  the  true 
Church,  which  is  constantly  under  the  providence  of  God. 
Be  faithful  to  her  all  your  lives;  be  not  cowards  who  will 
desert  her  under  the  most  trivial  temptation.  0  ye  of  little 
faith!  why  do  ye  doubt?  How  easily  our  young  men  are  seen 
to  fall  away,  if  not  by  changing  their  faith,  by  becoming  care- 
less in  the  practice  of  it. 

Our  Lord  enters  Jerusalem,  humble,  kind,  peaceful,  sitting 
on  an  ass  led  by  the  Apostles,  love  depicted  on  His  counte- 
nance. In  former  times,  in  the  East  especially,  when  a  tri- 
umphal entry  was  made  into  a  city,  there  was  a  great  pageant. 
Great  quantities  of  captured  arms  were  conveyed  in  carts; 
banners  taken  from  the  enemy  were  displayed;  vessels  of 
gold  and  silver  were  tastefully  carried,  but  especially  poor 
captives  bound  with  chains  hand  and  foot  were  cruelly 
dragged  along  to  be  put  to  death  after  the  festivities  were 
over  on  that  day  of  their  humiliation.  Not  so  on  the  day  of 
the  triumph  of  Our  Lord.  His  was  rather  a  spiritual  exulta- 
tion than  a  triumph  of  the  world.  Our  Lord  is  peaceful  and 
good;  He  could  crush  His  enemies  at  any  time,  but  He  pre- 
fers to  be  patient  and  wait  for  their  conversion.  Even  after 
they  have  done  Him  the  greatest  injury  He  does  not  strike 
them;  He  is  ever  meek  and  humble. 

This  character,  you,  my  dear  children,  ought  to  endeavor 
to  gain  early  in  life.  Children  are  prone  to  hasty  anger  and 
to  little  spitefulnesses;  some  have  violent  tempers,  and  in 
their  blind  rage  would  commit  any  injury,  even  to  their 
friends. 

Kindness  and  goodness  of  heart  are  most  beautiful  char- 
acteristics in  young  people;  docility  is  the  most  winning 
quality  in  a  child's  disposition.  Jesus  is  your  king  and  mas- 
ter;  follow  Him  in  the  practice  of  virtue^  and  according  to 


Easter  Sunday,  125 

this  day's  Gospel  make  His  meekness  a  special  lesson  to  be 
learned  and  imitated. 


EASTER  SUNDAY. 

Gospel.  Marlz  xvi.  1-7.  At  that  time:  Mary  Magdalene  and 
Mary  the  mother  of  James  and  Salome  bought  sweet  spices,  that 
coming  they  might  anoint  Jesus.  And  very  early  in  the  morning,  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  they  came  to  the  sepulchre,  the  sun  being  now 
risen.  And  they  said  one  to  another:  Who  shall  roll  us  back  the 
stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre?  And.  looking,  they  saw  the 
stone  rolled  back:  for  it  was  very  great.  And  entering  into  the 
sepulchre,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side,  clothed 
with  a  white  robe:  and  they  were  astonished.  Who  saith  to  them: 
Be  not  affrighted:  ye  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  was  crucified:  he 
is  risen,  he  is  not  here:  behold  the  place  where  they  laid  him.  But 
go,  tell  his  disciples  and  Peter  that  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee: 
there  you  shall  see  him,  as  he  told  you, 

THE  EESUKRECTION  OP  OUR  LORD. 

No  longer  are  there  tears  in  our  eyes;  no  longer  are  heard 
wailings  of  grief,  but  hymns  of  the  greatest  joy.  Our  Lord 
is  risen.  Jesus,  the  good  God,  is  risen  glorious  and  tri- 
umphant from  the  tomb.  Let  us  rejoice!  Let  those  tremble 
and  despair  who  are  His  enemies!  The  Jews  bragged  of  the 
success  of  their  execrable  work;  but  their  triumph  is  short. 
They  did  not  see  that  all  this  happened  to  Our  Lord,  because 
He  desired  it  so.  They  triumphed  for  a  while,  when  they 
had  shut  up  His  body  in  the  tomb,  but  Christ,  full  of  life 
and  immortal,  now  passes  through  the  stone  vault  and  is 
truly  risen.  He  is  indeed  risen  and  endowed  with  greater 
beauty;  clothed  in  light,  like  that  of  the  sun;  the  crown  of 
thorns  is  changed  into  a  beautiful  diadem,  the  wounds  into 
signs  of  victory;  the  blasphemies  of  the  Jews  into  the  exulta- 
tion of  the  angels;  His  sorrowful  death  into  a  most  happy 
life.  0  day  of  happiness  for  the  whole  earth!  *^  This  is  the 
day  which  the  Lord  hath  made;    let  us  exult  and  rejoice 


126  The  Resurrection  of  Our  Lord, 

therein.'^  What  fruit  shall  we  draw  from  this  feast?  It  is 
this:  Jesus  Christ  is  risen  from  the  dead  to  die  no  more;  so 
also  when  we  rise  from  our  death  of  sin,  we  should  die  no 
more,  but  continue  in  the  life  of  grace. 

It  is  a  fact  that  many  rise  from  the  sleep  of  death  during 
these  days  of  the  paschal  joy;  because  the  Church  has  made 
an  express  law  that  every  Catholic  must  go  to  confession  and 
communion  at  Easter.  Therefore  many,  obedient  to  the 
law,  confess,  bewail  their  sins  and  promise  to  remain  faithful 
to  the  graces  of  a  new  life.  Many,  however,  are  not  stead- 
fast; a  few  days  have  scarcely  passed  before  they  forget,  and 
by  sin  fall  back  again  into  death.  Have  such  really  risen? 
It  appeared  as  if  they  had,  but  if  they  had  been  really  con- 
verted they  would  certainly  not  have  fallen  back  into  sin  so 
easily  and  in  so  short  a  time. 

I  should  like  to  believe  that  all  you,  my  dear  young 
friends,  who  have  gone  to  confession,  have  really  made  up 
your  minds  not  to  fall  into  sin  again.  Just  think  what  a  ter- 
rible thing  it  is  to  be  in  the  state  of  moral  death;  by  sin 
you  become  an  enemy  of  God  and  you  cease  to  be  the  brother 
of  Jesus  Christ.  The  character  of  the  soul  is  goodness;  and 
so  beautiful  is  it  that  God  loves  it  and  takes  special  delight 
in  it.  You  are  by  Baptism  brothers  of  Jesus  Christ,  asso- 
ciates of  the  angels,  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the  saints  in 
heaven.  It  is  worth  your  while,  then,  my  dear  young  people, 
to  preserve  with  the  greatest  care  the  purity  which  you  have 
again  acquired  by  the  use  of  the  sacraments.  Unhappy 
beings,  if  you  become  bad  a,gain,  you  are  throwing  away  your 
last  chance  of  salvation;  it  is  very  hard  to  rise  from  the  state 
of  sin  to  life;  the  devil  will  make  every  effort  to  hold  on  to 
you;  he  will  redouble  his  watchfulness,  will  strengthen  his 
net  about  you,  will  double  the  chains  that  already  bind  you. 
He  will  send  his  servants  to  you,  who  will  surround  you  in 
such  a  manner  that  nothing  good  can  come  near  you.  He 
will  make  the  life  of  a  sinner  seem  most  delightful,  so  that 
in  your  blindness  you  would  not  change  it  if  you  could.  That 


Easter  SundoAj.  127 

is  the  great  difficulty — that  we  are  our  own  obstacles.  We 
would  not  love  God  if  we  could,  we  would  not  serve  Him  if 
we  could — such  are  the  machinations  of  the  devil  to  keep 
you  in  his  service. .  So  you  see  it  is  not  as  easy  as  you  think 
to  return  to  God.  Without  grace  we  can  do  nothing,  and  we 
cannot  run  to  Him  and  stay  away  from  Him  at  will.  When 
God  has  seen  you  unfaithful  to  Him  several  times,  after  hav- 
ing been  saved  by  His  mercy.  He  will  no  longer  give  you 
those  extraordinary  graces  which  brought  you  out  of  your 
evil  ways  heretofore;  now  He  will  let  you  go.  He  will  abandon 
you  as  a  thoroughly  worthless  subject.  From  these  consid- 
erations you  can  gather  that  it  is  most  important  for  us  to 
be  in  the  state  of  grace,  for  on  it  our  salvation  depends.  It 
is  also  very  essential  never  to  think  lightly  of  the  state  of 
grace,  not  to  let  it  go  and  come  as  we  often  do  in  the  Sacra- 
ment of  Penance;  we  return  again  and  again  to  confession 
accusing  ourselves  of  the  same  sins,  and  thus  we  continue 
until  the  day  of  our  death.  When  once  we  have  risen  as 
Christ  has  risen,  to  die  no  more,  we  also  must  begin  a  new 
life.  If  in  the  past  we  have  been  so  fond  of  the  world  that 
we  thought  of  nothing  else,  now  in  our  new  life  we  must 
live  with  Jesus  Christ;  we  will  renounce  the  world  to  flee 
from  those  unlawful  pleasures,  to  lead  a  celestial  life,  to  be 
in  heaven  rather  than  upon  this  earth.  "  If  you  have  risen 
with  Christ,  relish  the  things  of  heaven,  not  the  things  of 
earth.''  Do  not  run  after  the  pleasures  of  this  world  with 
such  a  relish;  look  for  the  joys  of  heaven,  pray  to  God,  use 
the  sacraments  frequently,  and  hear  the  word  of  God;  then 
this  new  life  will  also  be  a  resurrection  for  you,  a  glorious 
day;  and  will  foreshadow  the  day  on  which  you  will  be 
crowned  with  the  crown  of  perseverance. 


128         The  Visit  of  Our  Lord  to  His  Disciples, 


FIEST  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 

Gospel.  John  xx.  19-31.  At  that  time,  when  it  was  late  that 
same  day,  the  first  of  the  week,  and  the  doors  were  shut,  where  the 
disciples  were  gathered  together  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  Jesus  came  and 
stood  in  the  midst,  and  said  to  them:  Peace  be  to  you.  And  when 
he  had  said  this,  he  showed  them  his  hands,  and  his  side.  The  dis- 
ciples therefore  were  glad,  when  they  saw  the  Lord.  He  said  there- 
fore to  them  again :  Peace  be  to  you.  As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  I 
also  send  you.  When  he  had  said  this  he  breathed  on  them;  and  he 
said  to  them:  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  Whose  sins  you  shall  for- 
give, they  are  forgiven  them:  and  whose  sins  you  shall  retain,  they 
are  retained.  Now  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  who  is  called  Didymus, 
was  not  with  them  when  Jesus  came.  The  other  disciples  therefore 
said  to  him:  We  have  seen  the  Lord.  But  he  said  to  them:  Except  I 
shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my 
finger  into  the  place  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  hand  into  his 
side,  I  will  not  believe.  And  after  eight  days  again  his  disciples  were 
within:  and  Thomas  with  them.  Jesus  cometh,  the  doors  being  shut, 
and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said:  Peace  be  to  you.  Then  he  saith  to 
Thomas :  Put  in  thy  finger  hither,  and  see  my  hands ;  and  bring  hither 
thy  hand,  and  put  it  into  my  side:  and  be  not  faithless  but  believing. 
Thomas  answered  and  said  to  him:  My  Lord,  and  my  God.  Jesus 
saith  to  him:  Because  thou  hast  seen  me,  Thomas,  thou  hast  believed: 
blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  have  believed.  Many  other 
signs  also  did  Jesus  in  the  sight  of  his  disciples,  which  are  not  written 
in  this  book.  But  these  are  written  that  you  may  believe  that  Jesua 
is  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God:  and  that  believing  you  may  have  life 
in  his  name. 


THE  VISIT  OF  OTTR  LORD  TO  HIS  DISCIPLES — THE  UNBELIEVING 

THOMAS. 

The  Apod;les  were  gathered  in  an  upper  room,  away  from 
interference,  for  fear  of  the  Jews;  there  they  discussed  the 
events  of  the  last  days  in  the  life  of  their  Master,  and  the 
appearance  He  deigned  to  make  to  Mary  Magdalene.  In  the 
evening  while  they  were  at  supper.  Our  Lord  appeared  in 
the  flesh,  though  the  doors  were  securely  locked.    The  place 


First  Sunday  after  Easter,  129 

shone  brightly  with  His  presence,  and  in  a  reassuring  tone 
He  said  to  them,  "Peace  be  with  you/'  and  showed  them 
the  wounds  of  His  hands  and  feet.  The  disciples  were  happy, 
and  again  He  said  to  them,  "  Peace  be  with  you/' 

My  dear  young  people,  you  all  love  peace  and  are  looking 
for  it.  Where  is  it  likely  to  be  found?  You  look  for  it  in 
most  unlikely  places;  you  find  strife,  deception,  and  sorrow. 
Sometimes  you  look  for  peace  in  the  enjoyment  of  pleas- 
ures, in  the  diversions  of  the  world;  you  deck  yourselves 
with  roses;  you  say,  "  Let  not  this  opportune  time  pass  by; 
let  us  crown  ourselves  with  roses  before  they  fade."  But 
you  find  no  peace;  there  is  always  a  great  vacuum  which 
cannot  be  filled.  The  pleasures  you  have  enjoyed  have  passed 
too  quickly;  they  have  often  left  a  bitter  remembrance,  and 
the  riches  of  the  world  give  no  contentment.  Consider  the 
great  and  wise  Solomon,  king  of  the  Jews;  according  to  his 
own  admission,  he  sought  and  enjoyed  every  pleasure;  he 
had  a  grand  throne,  great  riches,  his  table  was  laden  with 
costly  food,  and  he  had  innumerable  servants.  There  was  no 
kingdom  equal  to  his  in  splendor  and  wealth.  Of  all  men 
Solomon  should  have  been  the  happiest — and  yet  he  was 
not  happy;  the  more  he  possessed,  the  more  he  was  disgusted 
with  the  insignificance  of  these  things;  he  saw  in  it  nothing 
but  vanity  and  affliction  of  spirit.  Why  was  Solomon  obliged 
to  confess,  that  amid  all  his  riches,  his  honors,  and  his  power, 
he  met  with  no  satisfaction,  no  peace,  but  felt  disappointed? 
It  was  this:  our  hearts  are  made  for  God  and  to  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  heaven;  for  that  reason  the  enjoyments  of  this 
world  can  never  satisfy  us,  or  give  us  peace. 

My  dear  young  people,  try  to  realize  this  in  the  beginning 
of  your  days.  The  things  of  this  world  look  very  attractive 
and  promising  in  our  youth,  but  years  will  open  our  eyes 
to  the  true  state  of  things.  Be  not  deceived,  but  begin  by 
giving  everything  its  proper  value;  love  God  alone,  and 
that  will  give  you  peace,  contentment,  and  happiness. 

It  is  certainly  a  lamentable  fact  that  sin  becomes  the  great 


130         The  Visit  of  Our  Lord  to  His  Disciples. 

source  oi.  enjoyment  to  many  of  our  young  people.  So  blind 
and  wayward  are  they,  that  although  they  know  that  sin  he- 
gets  nothing  hut  misery  and  disgust,  they  still  live  on  in  that 
sad  state.  They  eat  the  bread  of  iniquity  and  drink  the  wine 
of  sin.  Stronger  and  stronger  grows  the  fierce  fever  of  pas- 
sion the  more  it  is  indulged,  until  it  can  be  compared  to 
nothing  but  a  tempestuous,  angry  sea,  threatening  with 
destruction  everything  that  is  found  in  its  way. 

Oh,  blessed  days  of  innocence,  when  you  had  not  tasted  the 
seductive  poison  of  sin!  When  a  little  lie,  or  a  disobedience  to 
your  parents,  gave  you  terrible  disquiet  of  conscience.  In 
those  happy  days  you  sat  content  at  the  frugal  table,  you  loved 
your  home  and  passed  the  evening  in  the  bosom  of  your  family. 
Then  you  had  no  idea  what  bitterness  of  heart  or  a  disquiet 
mind  meant;  but  there  came  a  time  when  for  the  first  time 
you  said,  '^  Jesus,  I  will  serve  Thee  no  more.^'  From  that 
moment  you  felt  the  stings  of  conscience.  You  were  like 
the  fratricide  Cain,  who  restlessly  wandered  about,  afraid  that 
every  man  was  his  mortal  enemy.  The  rivers  threatened  to 
drown  him,  the  hills  to  fall  on  him,  the  valleys  to  bury  him 
alive.  He  'had  the  dreadful  thought  in  his  mind  that  those 
who  found  him  would  kill  him. 

Would  that  we  could  realize  the  fact  that  to  know  Grod 
and  to  love  Him  is  the  only  source  of  peace!  Thomas  a 
Kempis  says,  ^*  That  God,  the  eternal  and  infinite,  who  fills 
all  things,  is  the  real  comfort  of  the  soul  and  the  real  joy  of 
the  heart.'^  Give  testimony  to  that  which  you  have  experi- 
enced during  these  days  of  the  paschal  feast.  You  have 
made  your  peace  with  God  by  means  of  a  good  confession — 
tell  me,  did  you  not  feel  a  heavenly  joy  in  your  soul  when 
the  priest  raised  his  hands  to  give  you  absolution?  Did  you 
not  feel  as  if  new  life  had  been  infused  into  your  body  and 
soul?  And  you,  my  dear  young  people,  who  have  had  the 
grace  of  partaking  for  the  first  time  of  the  Bread  of  angels: 
did  you  ever  experience  such  happiness;  did  you  ever  feel 
greater  consolation?      What  a  difference  there  is  between 


First  Sunday  after  Easter,  131 

serving  the  good  God  and  serving  that  cruel  monster,  the 
devil!  If  you  have  as  yet  never  felt  the  consolation  of  serv- 
ing God,  now  is  the  time  to  make  a  small  effort,  and  God 
will  reward  you  with  a  peace  the  world  cannot  give.  When 
the  first  Napoleon  was  congratulated  on  a  certain  great  vic- 
tory he  had  gained,  and  his  friends  told  him  it  was  the  most 
glorious  day  of  his  life,  he  said,  "  No,  the  most  happy  day  of 
my  life  was  the  day  of  my  first  communion." 

After  Out  Lord  had  twice  saluted  the  Apostles  with 
'^  Peace  be  with  you,'^  He  treathed  on  them  saying,  "Ee- 
ceive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost:  whose  sins  you  shall  forgive,  they 
are  forgiven;  and  whose  sins  you  shall  retain,  they  are  re- 
tained." Impresg  these  words  on  your  memory,  for  they 
are  the  proof  of  the  divine  institution  of  confession.  God 
gave  His  disciples  and  their  successors  the  power  of  forgiving 
sins.  ^%at  a  great  benefit  did  Our  Lord  bestow  on  mankind 
by  this  act!  He  saw  that  many  who  had  been  regenerated 
by  the  waters  of  Baptism  would  again  fall  into  sin.  He  gave 
us  this  sacrament  as  a  plank  thrown  to  us  after  shipwreck. 
You  cannot  deny,  however,  that  this  divine  gift  is  often 
abused.  Some  have  the  temerity  to  say,  "We  will  commit 
this  sin,  and  then  confess  it  and  it  will  be  forgiven."  Never 
load  your  souls  with  such  a  sin  of  presumption.  Use  that 
great  grace  for  your  salvation  and  not  for  your  damnation. 

When  Our  Lord  visited  the  Apostles  on  this  occasion, 
Thomas  was  not  with  them.  When  he  came  in  they  gathered 
about  him,  relating  the  occurrence,  "  We  have  seen  the  Lord," 
spoken  to  Him,  and  touched  Him.  Thomas  answered,  "  Ex- 
cept I  shall  see  in  His  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put 
my  finger  into  the  place  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  hand  into 
His  side,  I  will  not  believe."  What  an  exhibition  of  human 
weakness!  What  incredulity,  what  obstinacy  in  following 
out  his  own  views  and  despising  the  united  testimony  of  the 
other  ten!  What  presumption  to  lay  down  the  law  of  evi- 
dence to  Our  Lord!  Well  it  was  that  he  had  a  master  so  full 
of  love.     Eight  days  afterwards  Our  Lord  appeared  again. 


132         The  Visit  of  Our  Lord  to  His  Discvples, 

the  doors  being  shut,  and  this  time  Thomas  was  with  them. 
The  Lord  had  come  especially  to  convince  Thomas.  Calling 
him  He  said,  "Put  in  thy  finger  hither,  and  see  My  hands, 
and  bring  hither  thy  hand,  and  put  it  into  My  side:  and  be 
not  faithless,  but  believing."  So  struck  was  Thomas  by  the 
goodness  of  the  Master,  so  overcome  with  sorrow  for  his  fault, 
that  he  fell  down  before  Our  Lord  and  cried  out,  "  My  Lord 
and  my  God."  The  Lord  then  said,  "  Because  thou  hast  seen 
Me,  Thomas,  thou  hast  believed;  blessed  are  they  who  have 
not  seen  and  have  believed." 

There  are  many  Thomases  among  us  Christians,  and  even 
more  incredulous  than  Thomas,  who  say,  "  Unless  I  see  I  will 
not  believe."  For  example  they  do  not  understand  certain 
doctrines  of  the  Church;  they  deny  them  and  are  half  in- 
fidels. A  day  will  come,  and  perhaps  it  is  not  far  distant, 
when  they  will  have  to  acknowledge  the  truth  of  those 
doctrines;  and  severe  ^  unishments  will  be  dealt  out  to  them 
for  their  wickedness  and  impiety;  they  are  so  unbelieving, 
that  if  Christ  were  to  appear  again  before  them,  they  would 
maintain  that  it  was  not  He. 

My  dear  young  people,  do  not  choose  such  as  these  for  your 
companions;  avoid  the  conversation  of  those  who  do  not 
respect  religion;  be  careful  of  the  books  you  read.  The 
writings  of  out  present  day  are  full  of  infidelity.  The  best 
Protestant  and  infidel  writers  make  most  ridiculous  charges 
against  the  holy  faith.  Doubts  are  raised  concerning  fasts; 
modem  scientific  discoveries  are  so  distorted  that  they  must 
needs  throw  discredit  on  religion.  The  young  are  espe- 
cially entrapped  by  this  apparent  show  of  reason.  Avoid  such 
books,  that  you  may  not  be  affected  by  their  teachings.  You 
must  not  say  that  you  ought  to  know  the  objections  to  our  re- 
ligion. If  you  study  enough,  and  can  refute  them,  well  and 
good;  but  if  your  knowledge  is  insufficient  you  will  lose  your 
faith.  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga,  when  a  child,  had  a  certain  book 
and  tried  to  find  out  what  it  was.  He  could  decipher  enough 
to  see  tihat  it  was  against  religion,  so  he  threw  it  into  the 


Second  SuTiday  after  Easter,  133 

fire  and  ran  to  wash  his  hands,  because  they  had  touched 
such  a  blasphemous  work. 

In  matters  of  faith,  drive  away  with  great  care  every 
temptation;  renew  every  day  your  promises  of  fidelity;  tell 
God  that  with  His  grace  you  will  be  His  constant  follower  and 
ask  Him  to  enlighten  and  strengthen  your  faith. 

You  may  be  sure  that  there  is  a  great  foundation  of  truth 
in  your  religion;  that  good  and  wise  men  have  taught  and 
believed  it,  such  as  St.  Jerome,  St.  Ambrose,  St.  Augustine, 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  and  many  others  who  have  been  the 
glory  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Blessed  is  he  that  shall  have  preserved  his  faith,  for  it  is  a 
precious  gift.  One  day  you  will  see  the  truths  plainly  re- 
vealed, though  now  some  things  may  strike  you  as  not  in 
accordance  with  what  the  world  believes.  You  will  be  glad 
at  the  hour  of  your  death,  when  you  will  have  the  consolation 
to  be  comforted  by  that  religion  which  you  have  professed  in 
your  lifetime.  "  Blessed  are  they  that  *have  not  seen,  and 
have  believed." 

SECOND   SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 

Gospel.  John  x.  11-16.  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  the  Pharisees: 
I  am  the  good  shepherd.  The  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  his 
sheep.  But  the  hireling  and  he  that  is  not  the  shepherd,  whose  own 
the  sheep  are  not,  seeth  the  wolf  coming  and  leaveth  the  sheep,  and 
flieth:  and  the  wolf  catcheth  and  scattereth  the  sheep:  and  the  hire- 
ling flieth,  because  he  is  a  hireling,  and  he  hath  no  care  for  the  sheep. 
I  am  the  good  shepherd:  and  I  know  mine,  and  mine  know  me.  As 
the  Father  knoweth  me,  and  I  know  the  Father:  and  I  lay  down  my 
life  for  my  sheep.  And  other  sheep  I  have,  that  are  not  of  this  fold: 
them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall 
be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd. 

THE   GOOD   SHEPHEED. 

"  I  AM  the  Good  Shepherd."  This  Our  Lord  says  of  Him- 
self.   Our  Lord  had  other  titles,  as  Jesus,  Saviour,  Redeemer, 


134  The  Good  Shepherd, 

Master,  Advocate,  King  of  peace,  Our  Eeconciliation,  all 
signifying  His  love  for  mankind.  Are  you,  my  dear  young 
people,  glad  of  the  title  of  good  Shepherd,  which  Our  Lord 
gives  Himself?  Yes,  the  title  is  a  beautiful  one;  it  is  full  of 
consolation  and  of  love.  He  gives  Himself  this  title  in  order 
to  gain  our  affection  and  our  entire  heart.  How  good  Jesus 
is  to  us.  His  lambs  and  sheep! — What  care  does  He  not  take 
of  us?  He  speaks  to  our  hearts  words  of  eternal  life,  and 
His  holy  inspiration  illumines  our  mind  and  makes  us  know 
His  goodness.  He  takes  us  up  tenderly,  and  brings  us  to  de- 
lightful pastures.  He  nourishes  our  souls  with  His  holy 
word,  by  the  words  of  His  priests;  He  feeds  us  with  bread 
which  is  not  of  this  world,  the  Bread  of  angels.  His  sacred 
body  and  blood.  Was  there  ever  a  shepherd  who  gave  his 
body  and  blood  for  food  to  his  flock?  Generally  the  flock 
is  a  source  of  revenue,  support,  and  sustenance  to  the  shep- 
herd; but  not  so  in  the  case  of  this  Good  Shepherd.  He 
supports  and  sustains  His  flock. 

Of  course  the  shepherd  will  fight  for  his  flock,  he  will  use 
every  means  in  his  power  to  protect  it  from  ravage,  but  the 
Good  Shepherd  gives  His  life  for  His  flock.  0,  infinite  love! 
What  pains  and  suffering  didst  Thou  not  endure  for  Thy 
sheep!  Just  think  of  Jesus  crucified;  look  at  Him  nailed  to 
the  cross;  see  that  face  all  covered  with  bruises;  those  eyes 
half  closed  with  blood;  those  shoulders  torn  by  stripes;  that 
side  opened  by  a  lance;  those  hands  and  feet  pierced  with 
nails,  and  that  head  crowned  with  sharp  thorns.  All  this,  all 
these  wounds,  the  Good  Shepherd  suffered  for  His  poor  lost 
sheep.  Then  what  should  we  do  on  our  part?  Oh,  give  Him 
at  least  a  little  recognition,  gratitude,  obedience,  and  love — 
if  nothing  more  than  to  receive  Him  on  the  great  festivals 
of  the  year.  This  good  Shepherd  will  love  you  with  all  affec- 
tion and  give  you  His  choicest  blessings. 

There  are,  on  the  contrary,  many  restless,  ill-regulated, 
sickly,  plague-stricken  sheep  who  have  to  be  thrown  out  of 
the  flock,  because  they  continually  disobey  Him  and  make 


Second  Sunday  after  Easter,  135 

Him  feel  the  sadness  of  having  shown  kindness  in  vain.  He 
would  like  to  bring  them  to  good  pastures  that  they  might 
recover  from  their  maladies,  and  become  useful  members  of 
the  flock  again,  but  they  will  not  listen  to  His  voice.  He 
calls  them  to  the  use  of  the  sacraments,  but  it  is  in  vain; 
He  calls  them  about  Him  to  be  His  escort  and  companions, 
but  they  would  rather  be  far  away  from  Him;  they  want  to 
feed  their  souls  on  poisonous  food;  they  do  not  like  the  re- 
straint of  being  near  the  holy  Jesus.  They  have  left  the 
fountains  of  living  water  which  ran  to  eternal  life.  They 
have  looked  for  water  and  found  filthy  broken  cisterns. 

Among  you,  my  dear  youthful  friends,  there  are  many 
wayward  sheep  also.  This  Good  Shepherd  seeks  to  bring 
them  back  to  the  fold,  but  many  are  obstinate,  blind, 
and  wicked,  and  will  not  hear  His  voice.  He  invites  them 
with  sweet  and  coaxing  words;  He  makes  them  feel  the 
qualms  of  conscience;  He  embitters  the  cup  of  vice  from 
which  they  are  drinking  and  takes  peace  and  happiness  away 
from  them.  But  these  wicked  sheep  will  not  listen  and  con- 
tinually say  by  their  works,  "  No,  I  will  have  nothing  to  do 
with  you."  What  more  should  this  Good  Shepherd  do  to 
gain  them  and  to  bring  them  back  to  His  flock?  Can  you 
suggest  something?  Is  it  possible  that  God  will  not  succeed 
in  attracting  them  to  Him?  Will  He  not  succeed  when  He 
promises  them  the  kingdom  of  paradise?  He  must  and  will 
get  angry  some  time;  He  will  abandon  them  and  deny  them 
the  help  of  His  grace,  and  then  they  will  fall  from  one  sin 
to  another.  How  many  young  people,  my  dear  friends,  are 
in  such  a  state.  In  early  youth  they  become  vessels  of  wrath, 
and  if  God  still  tolerates  them,  the  day  of  vengeance  will 
come,  the  day  on  which  God  will  separate  the  bad  from  the 
good.  And  to  the  bad  He  will  say,  ^^  Depart  from  Me,  ye 
cursed,  into  everlasting  fire.'* 

Now,  there  is  still  time  to  change  your  way  of  living;  you 
can  become  the  well-loved  lambs  and  sheep  of  the  flock  of 
Christ,  instead  of  being  the  despised  rams  that  the  Shepherd 


136  Jesus  Consoles  His  Disciples, 

does  not  tolerate  near  Him.  Go  to  Him  and  show  your  sor- 
row, and  He  will  take  you  on  His  shoulders,  for  He  is  wait- 
ing and  looking  for  you.  He  is  watching  you  in  your  wander- 
ings, and  at  the  first  sign  of  repentance,  of  weakness,  or  of 
fainting.  He  hastens  to  your  side.  He  raises  you  on  His  shoul- 
ders, and  carries  you  back  to  the  fold  which  you  would  not 
have  been  able  to  reach  with  your  wasted  strength. 

My  young  friends,  we  are  all  sheep  of  the  flock  of  Christ; 
we  are  His  by  redemption  and  by  the  grace  of  almighty  God. 
Be  always  obedient  to  Him,  hear  His  voice,  and  walk  con- 
tinually in  His  footsteps.  Would  you  walk  securely  in  the 
midst  of  this  world,  so  full  of  danger  and  snares?  The  only 
means  is  to  allow  yourselves  to  be  guided  by  God.  If  you 
would  please  the  divine  Shepherd,  imitate  Him  in  His  divine 
virtues,  in  His  kindness  and  obedience,  like  good  sheep  who 
are  willing  to  be  led.  The  divine  Shepherd  having  loved  His 
flock  on  this  earth,  will  call  them  all  to  the  enjoyment  of 
heavenly  pastures  and  will  quench  their  thirst  "  At  the  tor- 
rents of  joy  '^  which  He  provides  for  us  in  heaven. 

THIED  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 

Gospel.  John  xvi.  16-22.  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
A  little  while,  and  now  you  shall  not  see  me:  and  again  a  little 
while,  and  you  shall  see  me :  because  I  go  to  the  Father.  Then  some  of 
his  disciples  said  one  to  another:  What  is  this  that  he  saith  to  us:  A 
little  while,  and  you  shall  not  see  me:  and  again  a  little  while, and  you 
shall  see  me,  and  because  I  go  to  the  Father  ?  They  said  therefore :  What 
is  this  that  he  saith,  a  little  while?  we  know  not  what  he  speaketh. 
And  Jesus  knew  that  they  had  a  mind  to  ask  him,  and  he  said  to 
them:  Of  this  do  you  inquire  among  yourselves,  because  I  said:  A 
little  while,  and  you  shall  not  see  me:  and  again  a  little  while,  and 
you  shall  see  me?  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  that  you  shall  lament 
and  weep,  but  the  world  shall  rejoice:  and  you  shall  be  made  sorrow- 
ful, but  your  sorrow  shall  be  turned  into  joy.  A  woman,  when  she  is 
in  labor,  hath  sorrow,  because  her  hour  is  come:  but  when  she  hath 
brought  forth  the  child,  she  remembereth  no  more  the  anguish  for 
joy  that  a  man  is  bom  into  the  world.    So  also  you  now  indeed  have 


Third  Sunday  after  Easter.  137 

sorrow,  but  I  will  &ee  you  again,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice:  and 
your  joy  no  man  shall  take  from  you. 


JESUS  CONSOLES  HIS  DISCIPLES  AT  HIS  DEPABTTJKE  FROM  THIS 

WOELD. 

Our  Lord  was  about  to  leave  this  world.  The  Apostles 
had  received  a  terrible  shock  at  His  disgraceful  death,  and 
here  was  another  cause  of  great  grief.  When  Our  Lord  was 
crucified,  they  were  scattered  like  a  flock  of  frightened  sheep, 
and  when  they  came  a  little  to  their  senses,  they  met  in  an 
upper  room,  where  no  one  would  look  for  them.  What  dread- 
ful news  is  this  He  is  telling  them?  *^I  am  going  to  the 
Father,  and  you  will  see  Me  no  longer."  The  world  rejoiced 
when  Our  Lord  was  crucified,  and  at  His  going  away  it  felt 
no  sorrow.  This  same  thing  happens  also  to  the  followers 
of  Christ  in  our  time;  for  a  little  while  they  are  in  great 
trouble  and  affliction,  as  is  always  the  case  with  every  good 
life  in  this  world.  Show  me  a  good  man  who  does  not  worry 
and  fret  over  the  duties  he  has  to  perform,  in  order  to  do 
them  well  and  to  the  greater  glory  of  God.  Soon,  however, 
this  sorrow  is  turned  into  joy;  not  only  after  death,  but  even 
in  this  life,  there  is  many  a  foretaste  of  heaven  for  the  good. 
The  wicked  try  to  have  a  good  time  in  this  world;  they 
laugh  a  great  deal,  and  enjoy  everything,  but  at  the  end  of 
life  this  joy  becomes  a  fearful  regret.  They  know  that  hell 
is  waiting  for  them.  In  this  life,  too,  they  have  hours  of 
unhappiness  and  despair.  Day  and  night  they  sin  and  are 
happy;  their  joy  may  last  a  few  days  or  a  few  years,  but 
the  day  comes  when  they  have  to  leave  this  world  with  all 
its  attachments.  You  remember  that  rich  man  of  the  Gos- 
pel, who  had  accumulated  a  great  deal  of  wealth,  whose 
strong  boxes  were  full  of  money,  whose  extensive  fields 
yielded  a  large  income;  he  could  not  get  rid  of  all,  in  fact 
he  thought  of  building  storehouses  on  a  larger  scale.  ''My 
soul,  you  have  many  goods;  no  danger  of  want,  the  gold  is 


138  Jesus  Consoles  His  Disciples. 

there  in  the  safe,  and  can  be  used  at  any  moment."  What 
plans  he  made!  He  would  travel  from  land  to  land,  he  would 
enjoy  ocean  ■voyages,  he  would  get  the  best  of  everything, 
but  in  his  heart  he  heard  a  voice  whispering,  "  Thou  fool, 
this  night  do  they  require  thy  soul  of  thee,  and  whose  shall 
those  things  be  whicli  thou  hast  provided?''  What  startling 
information  that  must  have  been. 

The  idea  often  strikes  me,  though  a  little  vulgar,  that  rich 
people  are  like  fattened  bulls  which  are  the  pride  of  the 
farmer;  they  are  carefully  tended  and  carefully  fed  for  some 
time,  but  at  the  end  is  the  slaughter-house.  Certainly  they 
are  not  to  be  envied.  Neither,  then,  should  good  people  who 
suffer  envy  the  rich,  who  are  in  luck  and  are  happy.  It 
is  hard  to  listen  to  this,  because  we  have  to  be  persuaded  of 
a  thing  that  human  nature  does  not  like.  We  have  a  horror 
of  trouble  and  misfortune,  and  would  put  down  as  crazy  any 
one  who  would  tell  us  that  misfortunes  are  a  happiness.  But 
the  life  of  a  sinner  is  not  all  sunshine;  on  the  contrary  what 
he  thinks  happiness  is  merely  the  ravings  of  a  drunkard.  It 
is  true  that  there  is  a  certain  satisfaction  in  committing  sin, 
but  as  soon  as  this  is  over,  for  it  is  only  momentary,  we  feel  a 
terrible  disappointment,  because  it  cannot  be  enjoyed  longer. 
Yes,  the  happiness  of  the  sinner  is  very  short,  it  is  frequently 
false  and  delusive.  His  smile  hides  a  most  saddened  heart; 
at  least  it  hides  a  conscience  that  is  continually  upbraiding 
the  heart.  He  hears  a  voice  that  tells  him  heaven  is  not  for 
men  like  him. 

A  certain  criminal  in  Egypt  was  banished  to  an  island  for 
his  crimes.  Somehow  he  there  began  to  realize  his  wicked- 
ness and  a  terrible  fear  overcame  him;  he  used  to  think  his 
throat  would  be  cut  in  his  sleep;  then  he  would  jump  up, 
and,  rushing  out  into  the  starry  night,  stand  there  looking 
at  the  brilliant  heaven,  and  cry,  *^  Yes,  there  is  a  God."  He 
would  recall  all  his  crimes,  and  at  last  in  f  ary  would  exclaim, 
"Yes,  I  know  that  I  shall  have  to  be  punished  for  them." 
It  is  true^  then,  that  the  wicked  do  not  have  all  their  days 


Third  Sunday  after  Easter.  139 

bright  and  happy,  and  it  is  good  that  it  should  be  so.  Our 
Lord  afflicts  them  purposely,  strikes  them  hard  while  they 
are  in  the  height  of  their  enjoyment,  so  that  they  sometimes 
come  to  their  senses,  and  are  converted.  When  the  prodigal 
son  was  in  great  distress,  he  thought  of  going  home  to  his 
father's  house.  Affliction  makes  the  wicked  turn  to  God,  and 
it  is  a  blessed  thing  that  these  visitations  are  sent  them  for 
their  eternal  welfare.  0,  my  good  children!  would  that 
God  might  lay  His  hands  heavily  on  many  young  people  who 
have  gone  astray,  in  order  that  they  might  be  reminded  of 
their  first  instructions.  It  looks  cruel  to  wish  anybody 
trouble,  but  to  pray  to  God  that  a  sickness  may  prove  to  be  a 
spiritual  benefit  to  the  sinner  would  not  be  bad,  since  it  is 
sometimes  the  only  way  to  correct  evil  habits. 

Have  pity  on  your  souls,  my  dear  youthful  friends;  be  not 
of  that  unhappy  number  who  repay  God's  goodness  with 
black  ingratitude.  Eemember  that  even  were  you  rich,  and 
gifted  with  the  brightest  intellect,  if  you  are  in  sin  you  are 
the  most  miserable  of  human  beings,  you  are  servants  of  the 
devil.  What  will  it  profit  you  if  you  are  rich  in  money,  but 
poor  in  the  grace  and  friendship  of  God?  On  the  other  hand, 
if  you  are  in  God's  grace,  even  though  you  were  a  poor  beg- 
gar, you  would  not  deserve  to  be  called  unhappy,  because  the 
sufferings  which  God  sends  the  just  are  disguised  favors.  St. 
Paul  tells  us  this  when  he  says,  "  I  am  filled  with  comfort,  I 
exceedingly  abound  with  joy  in  all  our  tribulations." 

My  dear  young  people,  if  you  are  in  sorrow  repine  not,  but 
accept  the  trials  with  a  holy  resignation,  remembering  that 
they  are  sent  you  by  a  good  Father,  who  sometimes  chastises 
His  beloved  to  make  them  more  perfect. 

The  story  of  Tobias  in  the  Old  Testament  will  illustrate 
this  point.  This  old  man  was  very  dear  to  God;  he  prac- 
tised many  acts  of  charity  toward  his  fellow  captives;  he 
saved  from  his  own  table  all  that  he  could  to  give  to  the 
hungry;  he  deprived  himself  of  sleep,  that  in  the  dead  of 
night  he  might  do  what  was  against  the  law,  that  is,  bury 


140  Jesus  Consoles  His  Discvples, 

the  dead  Hebrews  that  were  slain  and  left  on  the  roadside. 
What  happened  to  him?  An  accident  made  him  blind^  and 
he  was  reduced  to  extreme  poverty,  expressly  by  God's  per- 
mission, as  the  Scripture  tells  us,  because  He  loved  him  so 
much.  We  may  not  be  able  to  embrace  with  joy  the  evils  we 
meet  with  in  this  world,  but  at  least  let  us  suffer  with  resig- 
nation and  thank  God  for  them.  Yes,  let  us  thank  Him  for 
that  poverty  which  we  have  to  endure,  because  it  detaches 
us  from  the  comforts  of  this  life  and  raises  us  to  the  contem- 
plation and  hope  of  better  things.  Yes,  let  us  thank  God  for 
the  infirmities  with  which  He  chastises  our  body,  which  looks 
for  nothing  but  satisfaction.  He  chastises  our  body  in  order 
to  make  us  hate  the  false  pleasures  of  the  senses.  Yes,  let 
us  thank  Him  that  w^e  are  not  great  men,  that  we  are  un- 
known, that  we  may  seek  our  glory  in  God  alone  and  our 
duty  in  a  hidden  way,  saying  with  Job,  "  As  it  hath  pleased 
the  Lord  so  is  it  done;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
Lord,  dost  Thou  wish  me  to  be  struck  with  sickness?  be  it 
so:  Thy  holy  name  be  blessed.  Shouldst  Thou  wish  me  to  be 
persecuted  with  injuries  and  calumnies,  blessed  be  Thy  name 
in  all  these  things.  Thou,  0  God,  dost  permit  the  devil  to 
tempt  me  with  many  and  frequent  temptations  that  give  me 
much  trouble;  blessed  be  Thy  name.  Only  give  me  the  grace 
to  be  steadfast  in  virtue,  and  to  resist  them  effectually.  Lord, 
as  long  as  I  remain  faithful  to  Thee,  do  with  me  what  Thou 
wilt.  If  Thou  dost  want  to  put  me  into  the  light  of  Thy 
consolation,  or  if  Thou  dost  place  me  in  the  school  of  sorrow; 
if  I  be  in  tribulation  or  in  joy,  I  accept  it  all  in  the  knowl- 
edge that  it  is  Thy  holy  will;  only  preserve  me  from  sin  and 
its  punishment,  hell.  If,  my  good  friends,  you  are  so  dis- 
posed toward  the  providence  of  God  you  will  accumulate 
many  treasures  of  merit  for  heaven,  and  your  crown  will  be  a 
magnificent  one. 


Fourth  Sunday  after  Easter.  141 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 

Gospel.  John  xvi.  5-14.  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
I  go  to  him  that  sent  me;  and  none  of  you  asketh  me:  Whither  goest 
thou?  But  because  I  have  spoken  these  things  to  you,  sorrow  hath 
filled  your  heart.  But  I  tell  you  the  truth:  it  is  expedient  to  you 
that  I  go:  for  if  I  go  not,  the  Paraclete  will  not  come  to  you:  hut  if  I 
go,  I  will  send  him  to  you.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  convince 
the  world  of  sin,  and  of  justice,  and  of  judgment;  of  sin:  because 
they  believed  not  in  me.  And  of  justice:  because  I  go  to  the  Father: 
and  you  shall  see  me  no  longer.  And  of  judgment:  because  the  prince 
of  this  world  is  already  judged.  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  to 
you :  but  you  cannot  bear  them  now.  But  when  he  the  Spirit  of  truth 
is  come,  he  will  teach  you  all  truth;  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  him- 
self: but  what  things  soever  he  shall  hear,  he  shall  speak,  and  the 
things  that  are  to  come  he  shall  show  you.  He  shall  glorify  me:  be- 
cause he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  to  you. 


THE  CONSOLATION  WHICH  CHRIST  GAVE  THE  APOSTLES  BEFOEE 
HIS  BEPARTUBE  FROM  THIS  WORLD. 

The  disciples  are  to  be  pitied  for  the  desolation  they  felt 
at  the  approaching  separation  from  their  good  Master.  He 
tells  them  that  now  He  is  about  to  leave  the  world  to  go  to 
heaven,  there  to  be  united  to  His  heavenly  Father.  It  was  a 
sad  thought.  They  would  no  longer  hear  His  words;  they 
would  no  more  see  His  benign  countenance.  His  sacred  per- 
sonality, which  went  about  doing  good  to  all,  healing  the 
sick,  curing  the  lame,  giving  sight  to  the  blind,  raising  the 
dead  to  life,  would  no  longer  be  of  this  earth.  Had  the  dis- 
ciples been  more  perfect  they  would  not  have  suffered  so 
much,  still  their  attachment  was  a  sign  of  their  love  for 
Jesus.  He  did  not  rebuke  this  holy  affection;  on  the  con- 
trary He  left  it  in  their  hearts,  only  calming  their  fears  for 
the  future  by  holy  promises. 

My  dear  young  people,  do  not  give  way  to  fretful  brooding 
and  moroseness  if  you  have  to  endure  sorrow.    You  ought  to 


142  The  Consolation  which  Christ  ga/ve  the  Apostles, 

be  happy  and  cheerful  in  the  Lord,  keeping  yourselves  free 
from  sin.  You  have  often  been  told  that  sin  is  the  greatest 
misfortune  in  the  world,  and  that  this  should  be  the  only 
thing  to  make  us  sad.  Be  cheerful  then;  this  is  the  lesson  I 
wish  to  inculcate,  the  lesson  which  I  have  drawn  from  this 
day's  Gospel. 

Ecclesiasticus  wishes  us  always  to  chase  sadness  from  our 
heart.  St.  Anthony,  the  abbot,  used  to  tell  his  disciples  that 
the  strongest  arm  to  conquer  the  enemy  was  cheerfulness  of 
mind  and  heart  which  has  God  always  before  our  eyes.  With 
this  light  of  God's  presence,  the  shadows  of  sorrow,  of 
trouble  and  misfortune  disappear.  St.  Francis  of  Sales, 
whom  they  call  the  sensible  and  rational  saint,  tells  us  that, 
after  sin,  there  is  nothing  does  more  harm  to  the  soul  than 
melancholy,  and  that  we  ought  to  banish  it  with  all  our 
might.  St.  Philip  Neri  wanted  young  people  especially  to 
be  happy.  Young  people  can  always  be  happy  because  their 
bodies  are  sprightly  and  full  of  life,  while  old  people  are  fre- 
quently sad  from  care  and  many  other  reasons.  Young  peo- 
ple should  be  encouraged  to  love  life  in  all  its  activity  and  en- 
joyment, and  it  is  sad  indeed  to  see  them  morose  or  over- 
whelmed with  care. 

St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga  and  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  were 
happy,  but  at  the  same  time  greatly  mortified;  they  were 
never  melancholy  or  morose,  they  did  not  avoid  the  company 
of  their  companions;  on  the  contrary,  their  manner  made  all 
about  them  feel  a  holy  joy;  their  companions  did  not  avoid 
them,  they  were  favorites.  The  saints  all  were  happy  and 
contented,  they  were  unhappy  only  when  they  saw  sin.  When 
they  thought  that  they  could  not  prevent  the  loss  of  so  many 
souls  to  God,  they  lamented  and  wept.  I  wish  you  to  reflect 
well  on  this  day's  lesson:  never  be  sullen  and  disagreeable 
in  company,  as  there  is  no  reason  for  it,  unless  you  are  of  a 
whimsical  mind;  correct  it  as  soon  as  possible.  A  youth 
who  is  good  and  pious,  but  holds  himself  apart,  and  likes  to 
pray  and  read  pious  books  out  of  the  proper  time,  does  wrong; 


Fourth  Sunday  after  Easter.  143 

he  may  go  to  the  sacraments,  but  the  joyous  laugh  of  youth 
is  no  longer  heard,  the  light  foot  and  the  agile  form  is  gone; 
he  likes  to  walk  with  old  men  and  become  as  slow  as 
they.  All  this  is  not  as  it  ought  to  be.  Young  people  ought 
to  be  happy  among  themselves,  for  if  the  young  see  one  who 
is  pious  and  at  the  same  time  morose,  they  think  moroseness 
a  necessary  consequence  of  piety,  and  they  hate  piety  and 
goodness.  My  good  young  people,  always  show  yourselves 
happy  and  you  will  do  good.  The  young  man  who  has  true 
piety  is  always  cheerful  and  happy,  and  never  seems  to  have 
the  blues;  he  does  what  is  right. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  a  pious  life  naturally  leads  to 
cheerfulness,  and  this  latter  attracts  the  careless;  nothing 
looks  so  dark  and  severe  as  a  holy  life.  "  Serve  the  Lord  in 
joy."  Then  may  discontent,  unhappiness,  and  sorrow  be 
lodged  in  the  hearts  of  the  wicked  as  a  punishment  for  their 
sins,  and  may  happiness  be  in  the  hearts  of  the  good. 

The  disciples  were  silent  at  the  announcement  made  by 
Our  Lord.  He  said  to  them,  "  None  asks  Me,  '  Whither  goest 
Thou? '  "  We,  my  dear  children,  know  where  Our  Lord  has 
gone.  He  has  gone  to  heaven.  But  we  should  ask  ourselves, 
'^Are  we  following  the  divine  Eedeemer  in  that  way  which 
leads  to  paradise?"  Tell  me,  do  all  young  people  walk  in 
the  path  that  leads  there?  My  heart  grows  sad  when  I  think 
that  so  many  do  not  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Our  Lord,  but 
from  earliest  childhood  fall  into  ways  that  will  surely  lead 
them  to  hell.  The  prayers  and  advice  of  their  parents  avail 
nothing:  they  are  obstinate  and  go  on  in  their  sins.  Better 
than  any  advice  is  good  example.  Let  the  light  of  your  good 
works  so  shine  among  your  companions  that  they  may  see  it 
and  follow  it;  pray  to  Mary  that  your  example  may  be 
effective  in  leading  others  to  God. 

Then  Our  Lord  told  His  disciples  that  it  was  expedient  He 
should  go,  and  that  unless  He  went,  the  Paraclete  would  not 
come  to  them.  What  great  love  Our  Lord  had  for  His 
Church  and  for  His  disciples!  For  when  the  Spirit  shall  come. 


144  The  Consolation  which  Christ  gave  the  Apostles. 

'^He  will  convince  the  world  of  sin,  and  of  justice,  and  of 
judgment."  St.  Thomas  says  he  will  convince  the  world  of 
sin,  which  they  must  avoid,  of  justice  which  they  must  adopt, 
of  judgment  which  they  must  fear  continually.  Understand, 
my  dear  young  people,  that  the  only  evil  which  you  ought 
to  avoid  is  sin:  understand  that  you  must  embrace  justice, 
for  it  is  the  scrupulous  observance  of  the  law  of  God.  You 
must  fear  the  judgment  of  God,  and  not  the  decisions  of 
men:  you  ought,  therefore,  keep  in  mind  that  dreadful  day 
when  you  and  all  the  world  will  have  to  appear  before  God's 
throne,  there  to  receive  the  sentence  of  approval  or  condem- 
nation from  the  mouth  of  God  Himself.  On  that  day  you 
will  have  to  appear  before  the  whole  world  and  make  a  pub- 
lic confession;  there  will  be  no  support  from  friends,  par- 
ents, or  relations;  we  will  have  no  advocate. 

Our  Lord  tells  His  disciples  that  He  has  still  many  things 
to  tell  them,  but  that  they  are  not  now  in  a  condition  to  un- 
derstand them,  until  the  Spirit  of  truth  shall  come  to  en- 
lighten them.  My  dear  young  people,  what  light  would  the 
Lord  infuse  into  our  minds,  what  inspirations  into  our  hearts, 
if  we  were  only  in  a  state  to  receive  them  and  make  use  of 
them.  Why  live  so  distracted,  with  your  heart  so  attached 
to  the  things  of  this  world,  your  mind  and  thoughts  so  con- 
tinually on  the  pleasures  of  the  world  that  you  neglect  the 
performance  of  your  duties?  Why  do  you  chase  away  the 
salutary  thoughts  of  eternity,  avoiding  them  as  if  they  were 
something  sad  which  disturbs  you?  By  such  carelessness  we 
render  ourselves  very  unworthy  of  heavenly  favors.  Stop  it 
now,  once  for  all,  and  place  no  obstacle  to  the  blessings  and 
graces  with  which  Jesus  wishes  to  favor  us.  By  a  really  fer- 
vent life,  merit  that  God  may  notice  you  at  all  times,  and  give 
you  new  graces,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  will  illumine  more 
and  more  your  mind  and  heart. 

We  can  learn  from  the  life  of  St.  Catherine  of  Genoa  to 
correspond  to  the  grace  of  Our  Lord.  From  her  very  youth 
she  was  always  ready  to  obey  the  inspirations  of  God.    When 


Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter,  145 

she  was  young,  it  is  true,  she  sometimes  became  cold  in  the 
service  of  Our  Lord,  but  no  sooner  did  she  hear  the  voice  of 
conscience  stirred  in  her  by  God  than  she  turned  to  her  call- 
ing and  labored  more  faithfully.  She  used  to  say,  "  Lord, 
no  more  world,  no  more  sins/'  She  had  many  visions  of  Our 
Lord,  who  came  to  her  instructing  and  consoling  her  accord- 
ing to  the  needs  of  her  soul.  Once  He  appeared  to  her,  in- 
viting her  to  make  with  Him  a  fast  of  forty  days,  not  touch- 
ing a  thing  all  that  time  beside  the  heavenly  bread  which 
she  received  every  day  in  holy  communion.  She  obeyed  with 
joy,  but  became  so  sick  that  it  was  thought  she  was  dying. 
The  Blessed  Sacrament  was  carried  to  her  room,  and  on  the 
third  day  she  was  perfectly  cured.  She  had  not  given  much 
time  to  study  in  her  youth,  but  by  the  help  of  God  she  wrote 
books  which,  at  the  present  day,  astonish  the  learned  and 
those  skilled  in  spirituality.  In  short,  she  corresponded  per- 
fectly to  the  will  of  God,  and  thus  became  a  saint. 

FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

Gospel.  John  xvi.  23-30.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  Ms  disciples: 
Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you:  if  you  ask  the  Father  anything  in  my 
name,  he  will  give  it  you.  Hitherto  you  have  not  asked  anything  in 
my  name:  ask,  and  you  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may  be  full. 
These  things  I  have  spoken  to  you  in  proverbs*.  The  hour  cometh 
when  I  will  no  more  speak  to  you  in  proverbs,  but  will  show  you 
plainly  of  the  Father;  in  that  day  you  shall  ask  in  my  name:  and  I 
say  not  to  you,  that  I  will  ask  the  Father  for  you:  for  the  Father 
himself  loveth  you,  because  you  have  loved  me,  and  have  believed 
that  I  came  out  from  God.  I  came  forth  from  the  Father,  and  am 
come  into  the  world :  again  I  leave  the  world,  and  I  go  to  the  Father. 
His  disciples  say  to  him:  Behold  now  thou  speakest  plainly,  and 
speakest  no  proverb;  now  we  know  that  thou  knowest  all  things,  and 
thou  needest  not  that  any  man  should  ask  thee.  By  this  we  believe 
that  thou  comest  forth  from  God. 

THE  STRENGTH  OF  PRAYER. 

'^Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you:  if  you  ask  the  Father  any- 
thing in  My  name.  He  will  give  it  you.    Hitherto  you  have 


146  The  Strength  of  Prayer, 

not  asked  anything  in  My  name:  Ask  and  yon  shall  receive, 
that  your  joy  may  be  full."  This  was  the  secret  that  Our 
Lord  to-day  revealed  to  His  disciples,  by  means  of  which  they 
might  get  anything  they  needed.  At  the  same  time  Our 
Lord  wished  to  teach  the  necessity  of  praying,  in  order  that 
the  treasures  of  God's  graces  may  descend  on  us.  That  Amen, 
amen,  was  a  real  oath  that  He  took,  for  did  He  not  in  another 
place  say  that  we  should  not  waver,  but  that  our  strongest 
words  should  be  yea,  yea,  no,  no?  Our  Lord  made  His  lan- 
guage so  strong  to  teach  us  that  God  could  not  do  otherwise 
than  fulfil  our  wishes.  He  has  in  reality  lost  the  liberty  of 
refusing.  St.  Augustine  tells  us  that  He  really  becomes  our 
debtor  after  a  good  prayer.  My  task  to-day  will  be  to  make 
us  see  the  necessity  of  prayer,  and  how  it  should  be  made, 
in  order  that  it  may  be  acceptable  to  almighty  God,  and  thus 
secure  for  us  all  that  our  necessities  require.  Our  Lord  tells 
the  Apostles  that  it  is  necessary  to  pray  always  and  never  to 
give  it  up.  Pray  that  temptation  may  not  enter  our  heart. 
He  wants  us  to  pray  at  all  times,  and  He  frequently  gave  us 
the  example.  How  often  do  we  find  that  He  went  to  a  soli- 
tary mountain  or  desert,  and  spent  whole  nights  in  prayer! 
At  one  time  He  gathered  His  Apostles  about  Him  and  de- 
livered to  them  a  formula  of  prayer,  the  Our  Father.  It 
makes  no  difference  where  we  pray,  for  prayer  can  be  heard 
by  almighty  God  in  any  place.  He  knows  where  we  are,  and 
we  cannot  be  hid  from  Him.  We  need  not  use  studied  words 
or  correct  language;  Our  Lord  understands  us,  and  that  is  all 
that  is  required.  But  while  we  need  no  great  preparation  to 
appear  before  God's  throne  in  order  to  pray,  there  are,  never- 
theless, some  qualities  that  our  prayers  must  have  in  order  to 
be  heard.  And  these  qualities  are  but  natural  ones;  we  are 
making  a  petition,  and  a  petition  humble  and  simple.  The 
prayer  of  a  soul  that  humbles  itself  shall  penetrate  the  clouds. 
Beside  the  command  to  pray  and  to  pray  always,  our  necessi- 
ties should  also  force  us  to  have  recourse  to  God,  as  we  know 
that  by  prayer  we  can  remedy  what  is  amiss  in  our  condition. 


Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter,  147 

We  cannot  trust  ourselves  with  good  resolutions  for  one  hour 
in  the  day.  Prayer  will  remedy  that,  because  prayer  gives  us 
the  grace  of  perseverance.  On  account  of  the  frailty  of  our 
human  nature,  we  cannot  remain  long  without  falling  into 
sin.  It  is  impossible  without  the  grace  of  God  to  continue  in 
doing  good;  but  prayer  will  give  us  this  steadfastness.  Yes, 
indeed,  the  fact  that  we  live  in  so  many  dangers,  surrounded 
by  bitter  enemies,  should  make  us  careful,  and  watchful  not 
to  be  surprised  into  committing  sin.  If  we  want  to  be  vic- 
torious, as  we  ought  to  be  and  can  be,  we  must  have  recourse 
to  prayer.  Prayer  is  the  invincible  weapon  which  we  can  use 
against  all  our  enemies.  You  yourselves,  my  good  young 
people,  must  have  experienced  the  efficacy  of  prayer.  When 
you  were  in  some  great  danger,  when  you  were  beset  by  some 
great  temptation,  when  some  bad  companion  drew  you  into 
sin,  when  the  devil  was  on  the  point  of  robbing  you  of  the 
grace  of  God,  and  depriving  you  of  His  friendship,  what  was 
it  that  preserved  you?  It  was  prayer.  By  the  exclamation, 
"Jesus,  mercy!  Sweet  heart  of  Mary,  be  my  salvation!" 
you  received  strength,  and  understood  that  you  were  about 
to  do  something  wrong.  On  the  contrary,  when  you  did  not 
pray,  what  happened?  You  were  cowards.  The  least  temp- 
tation was  fatal  to  you;  you  yielded  to  the  slightest  demand 
your  passions  made  upon  you.  How  is  it,  then,  that  young 
and  old  may  lead  a  life  of  sanctity  and  purity  even  though 
surrounded  by  bad  example?  Whence  shall  they  receive 
strength  to  persevere  and  be  the  glory  of  God's  house?  From 
nothing  but  prayer.  He  who  prays  will  be  saved;  he  who 
prays  will  correct  himself  of  all  bad  habits,  and  will  not  fall 
into  sin.  The  wickedness  of  the  world  comes  from  a  want  of 
prayer;  this  world  is  the  antechamber  of  hell,  but  by  prayer 
could  be  changed  into  the  antechamber  of  heaven.  We  are 
very  much  inclined  to  attribute  our  repeated  falls  into  sin  to 
our  weakness.  We  say  the  temptations  are  too  strong,  and 
we  cannot  resist  them.  But  are  you  not  blind  as  regards  the 
real  state  of  things?    You  do  not  pray  any  more,  all  prayers 


148  The  Strength  of  ProAjeT, 

are  put  aside  and  you  scarce  have  a  pious  thought  in  a  week. 
No  wonder!  where  there  is  no  prayer  there  is  necessarily  sin. 
If  at  the  very  onset  of  temptation  you  would  cry  out  with 
the  Eoyal  Psalmist,  "  Lord,  open  Thy  eyes  to  my  need.  Lord, 
hasten  to  my  relief;  Lord,  allow  me  not  to  fall  away  from 
grace;  just  now  I  would  rather  die  than  commit  this  sin," 
you  would  not  then  fall  into  sin.  When  David  the  prophet 
was  a  youth,  he  recited  long  prayers,  and  it  made  him  a  saint. 
St.  Patrick,  the  Apostle  of  Ireland,  rose  from  his  couch  a 
hundred  times  every  night  to  pray. 

St.  Agatha,  virgin  and  martyr,  preserved  her  innocence  hy 
prayer.  A  cruel  tyrant  had  apprehended  her,  and  determined 
to  put  her  to  death.  But  she  prayed,  "  Lord  Jesus,  Lord  of 
all  things.  Thou  seest  my  heart,  and  Thou  knowest  what  is 
my  desire;  Thou  alone  art  my  Spouse  and  I  am  entirely 
Thine.  Protect  me  against  this  tyrant."  The  monster  con- 
signed her  to  a  had  woman,  worse  than  the  devil.  In  her 
house  she  was  locked  up  for  a  whole  month,  hut  she  never 
ceased  to  recommend  herself  to  her  Spouse  Jesus  Christ,  and 
she  triumphed  over  all  temptations;  such  is  the  efficacy  of 
prayer. 

Prayer,  to  have  these  grand  effects,  should  he  well  made; 
a  prayer  badly  made  is  no  prayer  at  all,  and  God  does  not  lis- 
ten to  it.  How  do  you  pray?  Generally  in  a  great  hurry; 
no  sooner  have  you  begun  than  you  grow  tired  and  wish  it 
finished.  You  pray  with  such  carelessness  that  you  do  not 
know  what  you  are  saying.  Will  not  Our  Lord  have  reason 
to  complain  of  you  as  He  did  of  the  Jewish  people,  *^  This 
people  honoreth  Me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  far 
from  Me  "  ?  Would  you  not,  instead  of  pleasing  Jesus,  de- 
serve the  reproof,  "  Hitherto  you  have  not  asked  anything  "  ? 

The  poor  man  ought  to  be  our  model  in  saying  our  prayers. 
The  Holy  Ghost  also  refers  us  to  that  picture  of  the  poor 
beggar:  the  poor  man  speaks  with  supplication,  he  presents 
to  your  view  his  torn  garments,  he  makes  you  take  notice  of 
his  pale,  sickly  looks,  he  pours  forth  his  tale  of  woe  with 


Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter,  149 

such,  eloquence  that  you  are  touched  with  pity;  he  begs  al- 
mighty God  to  shorten  your  time  in  purgatory,  that  you  may 
have  a  beautiful  bed  in  heaven;  he  prays  to  you  in  considera- 
tion of  the  five  wounds  of  Our  Lord  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
cross;  he  puts  on  a  very  humble  appearance,  and  for  all  this 
he  expects  a  few  pennies  at  most  from  you.  Shall  we  not  also 
put  on  an  humble  exterior  as  well  as  an  humble  interior,  to 
ask  of  God  what  we  need?  Let  us  tell  God  why  we  are  beg- 
ging, and  He  will  grant  our  request.  St.  Julian  prayed  so 
fervently,  and  used  to  groan  and  sigh  so  loud,  that  passers-by 
wondered  what  trouble  he  was  in.  Then  he  would  say,  ^^  Do 
not  deceive  yourselves,  be  sure  God  will  not  give  us  heaven  if 
we  pray  coldly  and  indifferently.  Heaven  is  worthy  of  heavy 
sighs  and  fervent  aspirations." 

You  must  pray  with  the  positive  desire  that  what  you  ask 
will  be  granted,  and  that  you  really  feel  the  necessity  and 
want  of  it.  Many  pray  and  are  afraid  that  what  they  ask 
will  be  granted.  St.  Augustine  acknowledged  that  before 
his  conversion,  while  he  used  to  pray  to  be  freed  from  the  de- 
mands of  his  passions,  he  wished  that  God  would  delay  a  lit- 
tle, because  he  had  an  evil  inclination  which  he  felt  he  might 
still  enjoy.  Many  young  people  pray  in  this  way.  They 
know  a  thing  is  wrong,  and  they  know  they  ought  to  give  it 
up,  and  in  fact  have  half  made  up  their  minds  to  do  so,  but 
they  are  afraid  that  God  will  take  them  at  their  word.  St. 
Augustine  says,  "  I  feared  you  would  heal  me  too  soon  of  the 
vice  of  impurity  in  which  I  was  indulging,  and  which  I  would 
rather  keep  than  have  it  taken  from  me." 

In  prayer  we  must  show  our  confidence  and  trust  in  al- 
mighty God.  We  are  all  beggars;  the  poorer  we  are  the  more 
humble  we  must  be,  and  the  more  confidence  we  should  have 
that  God  will  give  us  all  that  will  make  us  acceptable  to  Him. 
He  has  to  do  it  if  He  wants  us  near  Him,  as  we  cannot  do  it 
ourselves.  We  ought  to  be  so  importunate  and  so  determined 
in  our  demands  that  no  delay  would  put  us  off  or  apparent 
coolness  discourage  us.    As  God  puts  the  knowledge  of  our 


150  The  Strength  of  Prayer, 

misery  into  our  heart,  and  at  the  same  time  the  desire  to 
remedy  it,  will  He  not  give  us  the  festal  garment  that  is  nec- 
essary in  order  to  be  admitted  to  the  heavenly  banquet? 

Not  only  should  we  pray  with  confidence,  but  also  with 
perseverance.  Too  many  Christians  fail  in  this  quality  of 
prayer;  their  necessities  seem  not  sufficiently  important,  and 
therefore  they  drop  the  subject  quickly;  we  do  not  persevere 
in  prayer  if  we  act  thus.  One  thought,  one  request  is  not  all 
that  God  wants  before  He  grants  our  demands;  we  bid  God 
to  hurry  to  our  necessities  and  if  He  does  not  we  give  Him  up, 
much  as  the  inhabitants  of  Bethulia  did  when  Holofernes 
invaded  the  place;  they  said,  "  Now  five  days  more  will  we 
wait  and  pray  to  God,  and  see  whether  relief  will  come  to  us; 
if  not  we  will  give  ourselves  up  to  the  enemy/'  Our  young 
people  especially  act  in  this  way;  they  have  no  perseverance, 
they  do  not  believe  in  waiting.  A  young  man  gets  into  the 
habit  of  committing  a  certain  sin,  and  falls  into  it  frequently; 
the  confessor  tells  him  that  he  is  following  a  path  which  will 
lead  him  to  perdition.  He  says  to  him,  ^^  My  son,  do  not  con- 
tinue on  that  road;  retrace  your  steps  and  recommend  your- 
self often  to  God  and  you  will  succeed.^'  The  youth  listens 
to  the  advice;  as  long  as  he  prays  fervently  he  is  able  to  resist 
the  temptation  of  the^  devil,  but  after  a  few  days  he  grows 
tired  or  feels  too  secure,  and  neglects  prayer.  No  sooner  is 
this  carelessness  established  than  the  old  habit  comes  back 
in  triumph. 

I  hope,  my  dear  young  people,  that  you  have  preserved 
your  baptismal  innocence.  It  is  likely  that  many  of  you 
have.  If  you  wish  to  remain  faithful  in  that  happy  state, 
pray  without  interruption,  and  then  you  will  receive  the 
grace  never  to  fall  into  mortal  sin;  those  who,  unhappily, 
have  lost  their  innocence  must  pray  with  fervor  that  they 
may  not  remain  in  that  state  and  be  lost  for  all  eternity. 
Make  frequent  aspirations  to  Our  Lord,  to  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin, and  to  your  patron  saint.  These  prayers  will  keep  you 
from  sin,  and  if  you  be  in  sin  thejr  will  purify  your  con- 


Sunday  within  the  Octa/oe  of  the  Ascension.       151 

science.  Imitate  the  angelic  youth  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga.  It 
would  be  well  if  you  made  the  devotion  of  the  Six  Sundays 
in  preparation  for  his  feast.  St.  Aloysius  frequently  hid  him- 
self in  an  obscure  corner  to  pray;  when  he  was  a  little 
older  he  prayed  for  half  an  hour  in  the  morning  and  one  or 
two  hours  in  the  evening.  He  rose  in  the  night  and  prayed. 
"  The  prayer  of  the  just  is  the  key  of  heaven/' 

SUNDAY  WITHIN   THE   OCTAVE   OF  THE 
ASCENSION. 

Gospel.  Jolin  xv.  26,  27;  xvi.  1-4.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  Ms 
disciples:  When  the  Paraclete  cometh  whom  I  will  send  you  from 
the  Father,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  who  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he 
shall  give  testimony  of  me:  and  you  shall  give  testimony,  because 
you  are  with  me  from  the  beginning.  These  things  have  I  spoken  to 
you,  that  you  may  not  be  scandalized.  They  will  put  you  out  of  the 
synagogues:  yea,  the  hour  cometh  that  whosoever  killeth  you,  will 
think  that  he  doth  a  service  to  God.  And  these  things  will  they  do 
to  you,  because  they  have  not  known  the  Father  nor  me.  But  these 
things  I  have  told  you,  that  when  the  hour  shall  con\e,  you  may  re- 
member that  I  told  you  of  them. 

THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

You  have  heard,  my  dear  young  people,  that  our  good 
Lord  and  Eedeemer  promised  to-day  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  He  foretold,  at  the  same  time,  the  great  persecutions 
that  were  to  follow  His  leaving  this  world:  but  with  the  grace 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  His  people  would  be  able  to  overcome  all 
these  persecutions,  which  would  redound  to  their  own  glory 
and  the  spread  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  But  why 
will  these  persecutions  come  and  the  cruelty  of  the  world  to 
the  Apostles?  They  shall  be  hated,  chased  from  the  syna- 
gogues, and  if  one  is  murdered,  it  will  be  considered  a  benefit 
to  the  human  race.  Such  were  the  persecutions  of  the  Chris- 
tians, and  they  have  continued  to  the  present  day;  under  the 
guise  of  religion  the  most  barbarous  cruelties  have  been  prac- 


162  The  Holy  Ghost 

tised.  Is  not  this  the  reason,  too,  that  we  are  so  antagonistic 
to  those  who  differ  from  us,  that  had  we  the  power  we  would 
pour  our  wrath  upon  them?  Be  this  as  it  may,  whence  comes 
it  that  men  are  so  wicked  and  so  cruel  as  to  persecute  the 
pure  and  holy  Church  of  God?  Simply  because  "  they  know 
not  Me  nor  My  heavenly  Father/' 

My  dear  young  people,  what  terrible  persecution  you  will 
have  to  endure,  not  of  fire  and  sword,  but  for  your  faith  and 
morals  in  every-day  life.  Your  faith  is  continually  assailed 
by  the  wrong  theories  of  our  day.  To  have  no  religion,  or 
to  be  a  Protestant,  we  leave  to  future  discussion.  How  many 
young  men  lose  their  faith  in  the  early  days  of  manhood! 
Young,  strong,  and  healthy,  they  do  not  see  the  end  of  their 
days,  and  they  wish  to  throw  off  all  restraint  of  religion; 
they  do  not  want  to  believe;  it  is  too  much  to  ask  them  to 
jnake  an  act  of  adherence  to  the  Catholic  faith. 

Many  a  man's  religion  is  spoiled  in  his  young  days;  he 
seems  to  have  no  mind  for  it,  and  who  knows  whether  he 
will  ever  get  the  grace  of  God  again  to  take  up  that  which 
he  throws  away.  Yes,  my  dear  young  people,  you  give  your 
pastors,  your  parents,  and  all  who  are  interested  in  you,  great 
concern  for  your  future.  You  will  have  to  undergo  many 
temptations,  too,  from  the  flesh,  which  you  carry  about  you; 
from  the  devil,  who  is  everywhere  watching  to  find  an  oppor- 
tunity to  destroy  you;  from  the  world,  in  which  all  sorts  of 
evil  abound,  but  you  are  weak  and  inexperienced  in  the 
midst  of  this  great  trial. 

But  you  must  strengthen  yourselves  by  the  thought  that 
the  same  Spirit  of  fortitude  and  wisdom  who  came  upon  the 
Apostles  will  also  descend  on  you,  to  shield  you  from  all  your 
enemies.  In  order  that  you  may  receive  that  holy  Spirit,  you 
must  prepare  yourselves  carefully  to  celebrate  the  feast  of 
Pentecost  with  sincerity  and  earnestness.  Let  us  examine  a 
little  the  necessity  of  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  how  we 
are  to  prepare  for  Him. 

Every  one  of  you,  my  dear  young  people,  knows,  as  did  the 


Svm^day  within  the  OctaA)e  of  the  Ascension,       153 

prophet  Job,  that  this  world  which  we  inhabit  is  a  great  bat- 
tle-field, on  which  we  are  surrounded  by  most  stubborn  and 
watchful  enemies,  and  that  we  have  to  enter  on  a  struggle 
with  them.  Hardly  have  we  come  into  it,  and  have  reached 
the  use  of  reason,  than  the  fight  begins.  These  enemies  aim 
at  the  soul;  the  life  of  the  body  is  nothing  to  them,  they 
wish  to  ruin  the  soul.  They  are  powerful  enemies,  against 
whom  we  can  do  nothing  of  ourselves.  We  can  easily  see, 
then,  that  we  need  the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  very 
much. 

In  the  first  place,  we  must  fight  with  the  world,  our  great 
enemy.  The  world  has  an  intelligence  of  its  own;  it  teaches 
bad  doctrines  which,  though  in  appearance  are  most  inviting 
and  even  most  natural,  are  wrong  in  principle.  For  example, 
the  world  has  the  strong  conviction  that  they  alone  are  happy 
who  enjoy  themselves;  that  while  you  are  young,  at  least, 
you  ought  to  enjoy  the  flower  of  your  youth  before  it  withers; 
that  it  will  be  time  enough  to  give  up  pleasure  when  old  age 
makes  it  insipid.  How  many  such  poor  deluded  souls  are 
about  us!  The  world  insists  that  money  makes  one  happy; 
that  one  must  always  have  his  purse  well  filled;  that  one's 
whole  soul  should  be  fully  awake  to  the  means  of  getting 
wealth,  and  heaping  it  up  in  abundance.  One  must  be  smart; 
by  fair  means  or  foul  he  must  procure  money.  Money  is  the 
god  of  the  world;  so  much  so  that  it  forgets  real  wealth, 
which  is  purity  of  soul  and  the  possession  of  heaven  in  course 
of  time.  St.  Paul  tells  us  that  ^^  they  that  will  become  rich 
fall  into  temptation  and  into  the  snare  of  the  devil,  and  into 
many  unprofitable  and  hurtful  desires,  which  hurl  men  into 
destruction  and  perdition." 

The  world  would  have  us  consider  in  the  next  place  that 
we  must  look  for  honors  and  esteem;  and  then  running  after 
the  false  honors  of  the  world  we  forget  the  real  honor,  the 
true  greatness  of  leading  a  good  life  and  in  the  end  of  being 
placed  in  paradise  by  almighty  God. 

Are  these  not  very  deceptive  doctrines?    How  can  you  dis- 


154  The  Holy  Ghost. 

cover  their  fallacy  unless  the  Holy  Ghost  enlightens  you? 
Not  only  does  the  world  teach  you  these  fallacies,  but  like  a 
tutor,  it  shows  you  an  example  of  the  good  fortunes  of  those 
who  have  succeeded  in  gaining  wealth. 

Look  at  the  great  number  of  successful  men  in  the  world 
that  have  not  a  spark  of  religion  and  who  are  proud  of  it. 
These  men  are  ashamed  to  be  humble  followers  of  Jesus 
Christ;  their  charity  is  turned  into  philanthropy;  they  are 
ashamed  to  go  to  church,  to  hear  Mass  or  a  sermon,  to  go  to 
the  sacraments  or  to  show  any  sign  of  Christianity.  On  the 
contrary,  they  make  a  parade  of  their  vices;  they  prefer  them 
to  following  Christ.  Such  are  the  consequences  of  the  bad 
doctrines  of  the  world.  How  thankful  you  ought  to  be  that 
you  are  not  like  them.  It  is  only  by  being  enlightened  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  that  you  will  continue  to  love  "the  better 
part." 

The  devil  himself  is  our  great  adversary  on  the  battle-field 
of  this  world.  Of  what  deception  and  snares  does  he  not 
make  use  to  lead  us  to  a  fall!  "  Your  adversary,  the  devil, 
as  a  roaring  lion  goeth  about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 
St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  while  he  was  at  prayer  was  visited  by 
the  devil:  what  a  horrible  object  he  was,  perfectly  black  and 
hideous;  his  eyes  shone  in  his  head  like  ominous  lights, 
which  seemed  to  scatter  fire  on  whatever  object  he  directed 
them;  his  mouth  was  like  the  opening  of  hell.  Stanislaus 
put  this  infernal  creature  to  flight  by  the  sign  of  the  cross, 
and  nothing  daunted  quietly  continued  his  prayers,  thanking 
God  that  he  had  the  power  of  getting  rid  so  easily  of  such 
an  unwelcome  visitor.  I  suppose  the  devil  visited  Stanislaus 
to  disturb  his  peace  of  mind  or  even  to  fill  him  with  fear; 
but  not  for  a  moment  could  the  Evil  One  induce  this  good, 
holy  soul  to  infringe  God's  law  in  the  least. 

You  need  have  no  fear  of  receiving  a  visit  from  the  devil 
in  person;  but  he  puts  on  the  grab  of  an  angel  of  light,  a 
serpent  of  beautiful  colors.  "  It  goeth  in  pleasantly,  but  in 
the  end  it  will  bite  like  a  snake."     The  devil  shows  us  sin  in 


Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  the  Ascension.       155 

its  most  attractive  exterior;  he  tempts  you  as  he  did  Eve,  and 
will  battle  with  the  same  arguments.  Eve  was  afraid  she 
would  die,  but  he  assured  her,  "  Not  at  all;  you  will  not  die, 
and  you  will  have  all  pleasures,  which  it  will  not  do  to  miss/' 
What  of  the  bad  companions  you  go  with,  my  dear  young  peo- 
ple? The  devil  will  argue,  "What  harm?  You  may  do  some 
good,  you  will  have  a  good  time.  If  there  is  any  one  in  this 
world  that  is  a  wearisome  fellow,  it  is  certainly  a  pious  chap; 
a  certain  degree  of  wickedness  is  required  to  make  life  spicy. 
And  then  why  live  such  a  timid  existence;  what  kind  of  a 
life  is  it,  when  at  every  turn  some  one  says,  '  Don't  do  that.' 
You  pass  your  days  in  listening  to  ^  don'ts.'  You  have  to 
watch  your  words  and  your  thoughts,  no  useless  talks,  you 
cannot  have  the  pleasure  of  sin,  even  in  imagination;  what 
a  dismal  life  it  is  which  is  a  continual  struggle!  Give  it  all 
up,"  says  the  devil,  "  and  lead  a  happy  sort  of  life;  don't  be 
wicked  exactly." 

The  devil  tries  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  get  at  your 
soul  by  the  channels  of  your  body  and  your  senses;  by  your 
eyes  through  your  sight,  by  your  ears  through  your  hearing, 
by  your  sense  of  feeling,  by  your  imagination,  and  in  this 
way  he  keeps  up  the  attack,  until  he  gets  possession  of  you: 
he  is  not  satisfied  with  that  mischief,  he  demands  more  and 
more,  until  at  last  he  has  corrupted  you  completely.  There 
is  no  rest;  down  we  go,  because  the  descent  is  so  easy,  until 
as  disciples  of  the  devil  we  are  more  wicked  than  the  devil 
himself;  we  can  at  least  do  much  more  harm,  for  the  devil 
makes  use  of  men  to  corrupt  others,  and  they  become  his 
agents  afterwards. 

Thus  the  good  priest  sees  thousands  of  souls  continually 
going  over  to  Satan:  souls  that  were  good  at  one  time,  but 
now  are  entirely  lost  to  God;  souls  who  absolutely  refuse  to 
hear  of  God,  and  who  try  to  persuade  themselves  that  there 
is  no  God. 

Another  enemy  on  the  battle-field  is  the  flesh.  This 
enemy  is  so  intimately  connected  with  us  that  we  continually 


156  The  Holy  Ghost 

carry  it  about,  and  it  is  the  occasion  of  many  of  our  falls. 
The  flesh  has  so  many  animal  propensities,  which  are  wrong, 
and  unworthy  of  so  noble  a  master  as  the  God-like  soul.  The 
flesh  is  impure  and  filthy,  and  wants  to  satisfy  its  appetites, 
like  an  animal;  it  is  avaricious  to  possess  a  great  deal,  so 
that  a  good  time  may  be  assured  for  the  body.  Is  not  the 
soul,  the  pure,  immortal  soul,  far  greater  than  the  flesh?  its 
difficult  task  is  to  discipline  the  unruly  body  and  bring  it  un- 
der subjection  and  become  master  of  it.  The  saints  succeeded 
in  so  doing,  but  oh,  by  what  great  labor!  How  perseveringly 
they  mortified  their  bodies,  even  to  their  last  breath.  But 
how  did  they  succeed  in  subjecting  this  flesh?  By  the  blessed 
Spirit  of  God,  whom  we  are  expecting  at  this  time  and  whose 
feast  we  are  celebrating. 

Now,  my  dear  young  people,  come  with  me  to  the  place 
where  we  will  find  the  Apostles  gathered  together  and  the 
Blessed  Virgin  in  the  midst  of  them.  They  are  quiet  and  re- 
tired, they  are  praying  for  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
also  for  detachment  from  the  things  of  this  world.  My  dear 
young  people,  are  your  hearts  detached  from  this  life?  Not 
yet,  you  will  say,  but  you  are  trying  to  cut  off  more  and  more 
the  love  you  have  for  the  world.  Your  thoughts  are  still  on 
the  earth:  does  that  not  make  you  forget  the  heavenly  para- 
dise for  which  you  are  on  trial? 

For  the  great  feast  of  Pentecost,  the  Apostles  prepared 
themselves  by  devout  prayer  and  holy  meditation.  They  re- 
tired to  the  cenacle,  a  quiet  place,  and  there  waited  the  pleas- 
ure of  God  to  send  them  the  Holy  Spirit.  How  do  we  poor 
mortals  generally  pray  for  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit? 
I  think  we  do  not  pray  at  all,  for  we  have  very  little  devotion 
to  the  Holy  Ghost;  but  let  us,  at  least  at  this  holy  time,  pray 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  He  may  come  unto  our  soul;  for 
prayer  will  surely  bring  Him  to  us. 

Lastly,  the  Apostles  had  a  great  desire  to  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost;  Our  Lord  Jesus  Himself  put  this  desire  into  their 
hearts,  and  therefore  they  wished  the  Comforter  to  come  to 


Pentecost  SuTxdoAf,  167 

them.  Let  us  invoke  this  Holy  Spirit  with  fervent  prayers, 
and  have  a  great  desire  for  Him,  that  He  may  come  down  to 
us  with  His  choicest  gifts. 


PENTECOST  SUNDAY. 

Gospel.  John  xiv.  23-31.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
If  any  man  love  me,  he  will  keep  my  word,  and  my  Father  will  love 
him,  and  we  will  come  to  him,  and  will  make  our  abode  with  him.  He 
that  loveth  me  not,  keepeth  not  my  words.  And  the  word  which  you 
have  heard  is  not  mine:  but  the  Father's  who  sent  me.  These  things 
have  I  spoken  to  you,  abiding  with  you.  But  the  Paraclete,  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  will  teach  you  all 
things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  mind,  whatsoever  I  shall  have 
said  to  you.  Peace  I  leave  with  you;  my  peace  I  give 
unto  you:  not  as  the  world  giveth,  do  I  give  unto  you.  Let 
not  your  heart  be  troubled,  nor  let  it  be  afraid.  You  have  heard  that 
I  have  said  to  you:  I  go  away  and  come  again  to  you.  If  you  loved 
me,  you  would  indeed  be  glad,  because  I  go  to  the  Father:  for  the 
Father  is  greater  than  I.  And  now  I  have  told  you  before  it  come  to 
pass:  that  when  it  shall  come  to  pass,  you  may  believe.  I  will  not 
now  speak  many  things  with  you:  for  the  prince  of  this  world 
Cometh,  and  in  me  he  hath  not  anything.  But  that  the  world  may 
know  that  I  love  the  Father:  and  as  the  Father  hath  given  me  com- 
mandment, so  do  I. 


THE  OOMnTG  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

The  disciples  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  were  assembled  in 
the  cenacle.  For  ten  days  they  had  been  meditating  and 
praying  in  unison  with  God,  when  of  a  sudden  a  great  noise 
was  heard,  as  of  a  violent  hurricane,  which  shook  the  house 
in  which  they  were,  and  then  they  saw  that  fiery  tongues 
settled  down  on  the  heads  of  each  one  of  them.  They  felt 
themselves  illumined,  strengthened,  encouraged  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  began  to  speak  in  different 
languages.  People  of  every  nation  had  come  to  Jerusalem 
to  celebrate  the  great  Jewish  feast  of  Pentecost,  a  feast  which 


168  The  Corrmtg  of  the  Holy  GhosU 

was  held  by  them  in  commemoration  of  the  giving  of  the  law 
on  Mount  Sinai  to  Moses;  and  all  the  Jews  wished  to  see  the 
magnificent  ceremonies  in  their  temple  in  Jerusalem. 

Though  these  Jews  had  come  from  different  places,  where 
different  languages  were  spoken,  still  they  understood  what 
the  Apostles  said.  Such  were  the  wonderful  effects  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  produced  in  the  Apostles.  They  were  il- 
lumined by  a  clear,  celestial  light,  which  made  them  under- 
stand all  the  truths  of  God,  and  the  future  Church,  and  gave 
them  the  faculty  of  forming  right  judgment  in  all  things  that 
came  under  their  jurisdiction. 

This  will  also  be  the  effect  on  you,  my  dear  young  people, 
if  you  beg  the  Holy  Spirit  to  come  into  your  hearts.  You 
will  feel  these  effects  when  He  has  come,  and  your  way  of 
thinking,  your  old  way  of  judging,  will  have  changed.  New 
thoughts  and  other  desires  will  grow  up  in  you.  You  under- 
stand what  the  thoughts  of  young  people  are  generally;  what 
their  hearts  are  fixed  on;  what  they  delight  in.  The  young 
man  and  woman  want  pleasure,  enjoyment,  plenty  of  money, 
and  good  company,  and  they  care  not  whether  these  things 
are  sinful  or  not.  But  when  the  Spirit  of  God  shall  come 
into  their  hearts  they  will  no  longer  love  what  is  sinful;  they 
will  avoid  all  such  pleasures.  Then  they  will  know,  too,  that 
all  in  this  world  is  vanity,  and  that  it  is  all-important  ■  to 
serve  God  and  love  Him. 

Not  only  did  the  Holy  Spirit  infuse  a  great  light  into  the 
minds  of  the  Apostles — He  also  inspired  them  with  great 
courage.  After  the  death  of  Christ,  the  Apostles  had  be- 
come very  much  disheartened,  and  very  fretful.  They  had 
not  the  courage  to  stand  up  openly  and  boldly.  Before  the 
death  of  Christ,  Peter  even  denied  Christ  three  times,  and  the 
Apostles  all  fled  in  dismay  when  He  was  apprehended.  As 
soon  as  the  Holy  Ghost  had  come  down  on  them  they  were 
changed  men;  they  no  longer  feared;  they  confessed  Christ 
before  the  tribunals  of  tyrants;  they  were  not  dismayed  at 
tortures;    they  feared  neither  the  sword  nor  the  bitterest 


Pentecost  Sunday,  '  159 

death;  they  braved  every  danger  to  preach  the  Gospel  before 
the  nations  of  the  earth. 

My  dear  young  people,  if  you  really  receive  the  Holy  Ghost 
into  your  hearts,  you  also  will  courageously  profess  the  faith  of 
Christ,  and  human  respect  v^ill  not  affect  you  any  more.  How 
many,  however,  are  there  who  in  spite  of  having  received  the 
strength  and  illumination  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  are  weak  and 
infirm  in  doing  good;  they  fear  to  speak  a  word  of  correction 
to  a  wicked  companion,  who  is  likely  to  draw  them  away 
from  the  path  of  rectitude. 

With  all  the  other  gifts  came  that  of  holy  charity  upon  the 
Apostles.  With  what  lively  flames  of  love  did  not  their 
hearts  burn  towards  their  neighbor.  Charity  is  the  great  vir- 
tue of  the  Apostles.  With  their  hearts  burning  with  this 
divine  flame  they  went  forth  to  enkindle  it  in  all  parts  of  the 
world,  and  to  set  the  hearts  of  all  on  fire.  Their  sermons 
were  frequent  appeals  to  the  intellect  and  hearts  of  their 
hearers.  At.  St.  Peter's  first  sermon  three  thousand  were 
converted,  and  at  another  ^yq  thousand.  St.  Peter  came 
out  on  a  balcony,  his  face  all  aglow  with  a  holy  zeal.  It  is 
thus  related  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles:  "Ye  men  of 
Israel  hear  these  words:  Jesus  of  Nazareth  a  man  approved 
of  God  among  you  by  miracles  and  wonders  and  signs,  which 
God  did  by  Him  in  the  midst  of  you,  as  you  also  know:  This 
same  being  delivered  up,  by  the  determinate  counsel  and 
foreknowledge  of  God,  you  by  the  hands  of  wicked  men  have 
crucified  and  slain:  Now  when  they  had  heard  these  things, 
they  had  compunction  in  their  heart,  and  said  to  Peter  and  to 
the  rest  of  the  Apostles:  What  shall  we  do,  men  and  brethren? 
But  Peter  saith  to  them:  Do  penance,  and  be  baptized  every 
one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Chkist,  for  the  remission 
of  your  sins:  and  you  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.''  They  were  converted,  and  baptized;  they,  too,  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost,  and  after  that  became  zealous  mem- 
bers of  the  holy  faith. 
Let  us  pray,  my  dear  young  people,  that  the  Holy  Spirit 


160  The  Cornvng  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

kindle  in  our  hearts  also  this  fire,  that  we  may  become,  like 
the  Apostles,  strong  in  word  to  persuade  people  to  follow 
Christ;  and  that  we  ourselves  show  our  love  for  God  by 
openly  practising  virtue.  Happy  shall  we  be  if  such  is  the 
fire  of  love  of  God  and  man  in  our  hearts. 

But  is  your  heart  really  inflamed  with  divine  love?  Do 
you  not  on  the  contrary  feel  that  you  are  cold  and  careless? 
Few  there  are  indeed  among  young  people  who  think  so 
much  of  religion  and  God  that  they  become  enthusiastic  to 
do  something  for  His  greater  glory.  In  your  younger  days, 
in  your  school-days,  perhaps,  you  were  better;  you  loved 
God  more  tenderly.  Now  it  may  be  said  of  you,  "  You  always 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost."  You  have  the  spirit  of  the  world 
and  of  sin  for  your  guide,  and  in  this  way  you  sadden  the 
Holy  Ghost.  We  resist  the  Holy  Ghost  when  we  go  to  con- 
fession, and  fall  back  into  sin,  because  we  do  not  reform  our 
lives,  as  the  Holy  Spirit  asks  of  us.  We  resist  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  sadden  Him  when  we  follow  bad  companions,  when  we 
are  disobedient  or  impudent  to  our  superiors,  who  wish  to 
guide  us  in  the  paths  of  virtue.  On  the  contrary  we  give  joy 
to  the  Holy  Spirit  by  our  good  will,  and  He  will  fill  our 
hearts  with  His  heavenly  graces.  Should  one  of  you  not  yet 
be  confirmed,  let  him  look  for  an  opportunity  to  receive  this 
sacrament,  so  that  he  may  receive  the  necessary  virtues  which 
it  confers,  namely:  the  spirit  of  Wisdom,  and  of  Intellect, 
spirit  of  Counsel  and  of  Fortitude,  of  Piety  and  of  Knowledge, 
of  the  Fear  of  the  Lord.  In  order  that  we  may  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  let  us  live  always  a  pure,  good,  and  holy  life. 
It  is  only  with  those  who  lead  such  a  life  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  remains.  We  read  a  beautiful  example  illustrating  this 
in  the  Eoman  breviary.  The  impious  governor  Paschasius 
asked  of  St.  Lucy,  '^s  this  Holy  Ghost  in  you?"  The  vir- 
gin answered,  "They  whose  hearts  are  pure,  and  who  live 
piously,  are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  "But,"  said 
the  wicked  man,  "I  will  make  you  fall  into  sin,  and  then 
the  Holy  Ghost  will  leave  you."    To  which  the  virgin  Lucy 


JFi/rst  Sunday  after  Pentecost-  161 

answered,  ^^I  will  remain  faithful  to  God,  and  not  consent 
to  sin,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  will  double  my  reward  of  glory." 
Then  the  tyrant  had  her  dragged  to  a  place  of  infamy.  Ar- 
riving there  she  stood  so  firm  in  the  one  spot  that  no  power 
could  move  her  further,  and  she  had  to  be  brought  back, 
when  she  said  to  the  tyrant:  "  You  see,  now,  I  am  the  tem- 
ple of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  He  protects  me;  no  power  on 
earth  can  move  me,  unless  He  permits  it."  In  this  wise,  too, 
should  we  fly  from  sin,  and  we  shall  be  the  temple  of  God  and 
the  habitation  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Come,  0  Holy  Ghost,  fill 
the  hearts  of  Thy  faithful,  enkindle  in  them  the  fire  of  Thy 
love.  Yes,  the  Holy  Spirit  will  help  us  to  pray  "  with  inex- 
pressible groans."  Let  us  pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  our 
soul  will  burn  such  a  flame  that  we  will  not  be  able  to  resist 
any  longer,  we  shall  run  delighted  in  the  odor  of  the  love  of 
God.  Then  may  we  repeat  the  words  of  the  Apostle  Paul  to 
the  Thessalonians:  "All  you  are  the  children  of  light  and 
children  of  the  day." 


FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  vi.  36-42.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
Be  ye  merciful,  as  your  Father  also  is  merciful.  Judge  not,  and  you 
shall  not  be  judged.  Condemn  not,  and  you  shall  not  be  condemned. 
Forgive,  and  you  shall  be  forgiven.  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  to 
you:  good  measure  and  pressed  down  and  shaken  together  and  run- 
ning over  shall  they  give  into  your  bosom.  For  with  the  same  meas- 
ure that  you  shall  mete  withal,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 
And  he  spoke  also  to  them  a  similitude :  Can  the  blind  lead  the  blind  ? 
do  they  not  both  fall  into  the  ditch?  The  disciple  is  not  above  his 
master:  but  every  one  shall  be  perfect,  if  he  be  as  his  master.  And 
why  seest  thou  the  mote  in  thy  brother's  eye:  but  the  beam  that  is 
in  thy  own  eye  thou  considerest  not?  Or  how  canst  thou  say  to  thy 
brother:  Brother,  let  me  pull  the  mote  out  of  thy  eye:  when  thou 
thyself  seest  not  the  beam  in  thy  own  eye?  Hypocrite,  cast  first  the 
beam  out  of  thy  own  eye:  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  take  out 
the  mote  from  thy  brother's  eye. 


162  The  Virtue  of  Charity, 


THE   VIRTUE   OF   CHAEITY. 

The  great  lesson  to-day,  my  good  young  people,  is,  that 
we  should  be  kind-hearted,  merciful,  and  charitable.  The 
saints,  the  friends  of  God,  were  charitable.  What  did  they 
do  for  their  fellow-men?  Did  they  possess  a  thing  and  not 
give  it  away?  Did  they  spare  themselves  in  any  way  in  their 
labors  for  the  benefit  of  others?  They  tried  to  be  merciful 
as  your  heavenly  Father  is  merciful,  and  if  we  wish  to  be  per- 
fect, we  must  endeavor  to  be  the  same. 

Then  Our  Lord  wished  us  to  be  very  careful  in  our  judg- 
ment of  others.  *^  Judge  not,  that  you  may  not  be  judged." 
Be  careful  of  being  suspicious,  lest  you  form  rash  judgments 
accordingly.  Do  not  put  a  bad  construction  on  others'  ac- 
tions; do  not  ascribe  bad  motives  to  them.  When  a  man  does 
a  good  act,  do  not  suspect  him  of  a  bad  motive,  and  thus  lead 
yourself  and  others  to  question  the  merit  of  it. 

St.  Augustine  says,  "  If  you  have  charity  for  others,  you 
will  wish  only  what  is  good  for  them."  A  good  and  wise 
teacher  of  morality  gives  this  beautiful  lesson:  ''  Humility 
does  not  see  the  faults  of  others;  simplicity  does  not  believe 
them;  charity  does  not  disclose  them."  But,  you  will  say, 
am  I  to  be  such  a  fool,  that  if  I  see  my  companion  doing 
wrong,  I  am  to  believe  he  is  doing  good?  Do  not,  of  course, 
think  an  evil  action  a  good  one;  that  would  be  nonsensical; 
but  may  there  not  be  many  extenuating  circumstances  which 
will  make  him  less  culpable?  Pray  for  the  culprit  with 
charity  in  your  soul,  and  think  what  you  would  be,  had  not 
God  kept  you  from  sin;  what  falls  would  have  been  yours; 
what  disgrace;  consider  your  frailty,  and  ask  yourself  sin- 
cerely, ^^Why  am  I  still  good?  Does  it  depend  on  myself?" 
0,  no,  you  must  admit,  it  was  a  special  providence  that  cared 
for  you  more  than  for  others.  They  fell  deeply;  you,  too, 
would  have  fallen  and  further;  but  the  mercy  of  God  held  on 
to  you  for  its  own  ends. 

A  good  monk  who  witnessed  the  sad  fall  of  a  soul  in  the 


First  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  163 

spiritual  life,  said  in  the  most  compassionate  tone,  ^'  Alas,  it 
is  his  turn  to-day;  it  may  be  mine  to-morrow." 

Our  Lord  commands  us  to  forgive  injuries,  saying,  "For- 
give, and  you  shall  be  forgiven."  How  easily  we  are  aroused 
to  anger,  and  how  hard  it  is  to  come  forward,  with  open  hand 
and  open  heart,  to  meet  a  friend  who  has  offended  us,  and 
take  him  back  to  our  confidence.  The  slightest  disagreement 
repels  us  from  each  other,  and  immediately  there  seems  to 
be  an  impassable  gulf,  which  shame  and  stubbornness  or  our 
own  meanness  will  not  allow  us  to  bridge. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  hate  thy  brother  in  thy  heart."  Do  you 
know  when  you  can  refuse  to  look  your  companion  kindly  in 
the  face?  When  he  comes  to  you  to  lead  you  into  sin;  then 
your  anger  and  zeal  may  show  itself,  and  you  may  let  him 
know  that  you  are  no  friend  of  his;  a  man  who  injures  your 
soul  cannot  be  looked  upon  with  indifference.  But  in  all 
other  things,  be  careful  to  keep  charity;  forget  and  forgive 
injuries.  Our  Lord  in  another  Gospel  tells  us,  "If  we  love 
one  another,  God  abideth  in  us  and  His  charity  is  perfected  in 
us."  What  a  beautiful  example  of  this  virtue  have  the  first 
Christians  given  us;  even  the  pagans  used  to  admire  them  in 
their  charity  and  love  towards  one  another.  What  fights  and 
grudges  are  often  seen  among  our  young  men;  if  they  have 
anything  against  another,  they  take  the  law  in  their  own 
hands,  and  undertake  to  punish  the  offender.  Give  that  up, 
and  look  for  no  revenge;  revenge  and  punishment  really  be- 
long to  God;  let  Him  take  charge  of  your  grievance,  and  at 
the  same  time  pray  fervently  to  God,  that  He  deal  lightly 
with  your  enemy  and  not  punish  him. 

Our  Lord  gives  us  a  great  example  of  forgiveness  to  our 
enemies.  What  did  Our  Lord  do  for  His  enemies?  He 
prayed  to  His  heavenly  Father:  "Father,  forgive  them,  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do."  Jesus  was  God  Himself,  and 
to  do  any  injury  to  God  ought  naturally  to  bring  down  the 
anger  of  the  Deity  on  the  offender.  He  could  have  sent  a 
legion  of  angels  against  them,  or  He  might  have  allowed  fire 


164  Tlie  Virtue  of  Charity. 

and  brimstone  to  fall  upon  them  and  consume  them.  But 
not  so  with  God.  He  waits  patiently,  sending  His  grace  into 
their  poor  hearts  to  see  if  they  would  become  better.  The 
saints  did  the  very  same  thing;  for  they  loved  their  enemies 
and  performed  many  acts  of  kindness  for  them,  forgetting 
every  injury  that  was  committed  against  them. 

Our  Lord  in  teaching  charity  certainly  could  not  omit  one 
great  act  of  charity.  He  asks  us  to  practise  almsgiving.  My 
dear  young  people,  you  have  not  yet  the  means  of  giving 
alms  of  your  own;  hence  you  are  not  obliged  to  observe  this 
command;  still  learn  early  to  feel  for  the  poor.  Do  not 
laugh  at  their  poverty,  their  dirt,  their  tattered  garments,  or 
their  roughness;  have  compassion  on  them,  show  S3rmpathy 
for  them,  and  help  them  if  you  can.  "  Eeach  out  your  hand 
to  the  poor."  What  you  give  to  the  poor  shall  not  be  thrown 
away,  it  will  return  to  you  again  sometime,  in  divine  bless- 
ings. 

What  do  we  see  good  people  do,  not  to  speak  of  saints? 
They  are  kind-hearted  and  hospitable,  they  share  their  pos- 
sessions with  others  to  a  certain  degree.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  give  our  all,  but  to  give  a  little  from  it.  Our  Lord  has 
promised  great  things  to  those  who  have  acted  in  this  spirit 
of  charity.  He  will  repay  us  with  a  measure  that  is  well 
heaped  up,  well  shaken  down  and  overflowing. 

We  have  to  carry  a  good  record  of  charity  toward  our 
neighbor  to  the  judgment-seat  of  God,  for  there  this  very 
question  will  be  discussed.  Our  Lord  has  already  described 
that  judgment  in  the  Gospels:  "When  the  Son  of  man  will 
come  in  His  majesty  He  will  say,  I  was  hungry  and  you  gave 
Me  to  eat,  I  was  thirsty  and  you  gave  Me  to  drink.  Amen  I 
say  to  you,  as  long  as  you  did  it  to  one  of  these  My  least 
brethren,  you  did  it  to  Me."  Our  Lord  gives  a  parable  about 
the  blind  leading  the  blind;  they  both  fall  into  the  ditch. 
The  parable  is  plain  enough;  a  blind  man  would  not  entrust 
himself  to  another  blind  man  to  be  led.  And  yet  it  is  done 
frequently  in  the  spiritual  life.    Do  you  not  entrust  yourself 


First  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  165 

to  the  guidance  of  blind  companions?  You  are  blind  already, 
because  your  passions  do  not  allow  you  clear  judgment,  and 
you  consult  some  one  on  your  imaginary  difficulty.  The  devil 
is  ready  for  you,  he  knows  your  dilemma,  and  at  the  right 
time  he  brings  one  who  will  advise  you  according  to  his  ideas; 
these  ideas  coincide  with  your  own,  you  are  confirmed  in 
your  evil  resolution,  and  both  of  you  fall  into  the  ditch  of 
sin.  The  priest  sees  this  very  often.  Not  a  day  passes  but 
young  men  and  women  of  his  parish  go  off  with  their 
blind  counsellors.  How  have  they  fallen  into  those  sins? 
"  Ah,  my  dear  father,  a  bad  guide,  a  bad  companion  led  me 
astray,  and  reduced  me  to  this  condition;  once  I  was  pure, 
I  did  not  even  suspect  there  were  such  sins;  but  I  was  led 
into  them,  and  now  I  have  satisfied  my  taste  for  them.  I 
have  ruined  my  life,  and  I  am  a  miserable  wreck." 

But  this  is  not  the  worst  of  it;  that  we  have  been  led  into 
sin  is  bad,  but  far  worse  is  it  to  stay  in  sin  and  to  continue  to 
indulge  in  those  vices.  It  is  related  by  Thomas  Cantiprates 
of  a  companion  who  was  led  astray  and  died  a  horrible  death  i 
without  having  time  to  go  to  confession.  He  died  with  these  / 
words  in  his  mouth,  "  I  am  now  going  to  hell — but  what  about 
him  who  dragged  me  into  sin  ?  "  If  he  said  this  before  he  was 
judged,  what  would  his  words  be  when  he  stood  at  the  gates 
of  hell,  and  looked  back  at  his  fearful  loss  for  a  never-ending 
eternity. 

You  wish  to  go  to  heaven.  Well,  then,  choose  for  yourself 
a  good  priest,  a  good  confessor;  chosen  from  among  thou- 
sands, as  St.  Francis  de  Sales  used  to  say.  Pray  fervently  to 
Our  Lord,  that  as  He  sent  the  archangel  Raphael  to  guide 
Tobias,  so  He  will  send  you,  if  not  an  angel,  a  man  of  angelic 
qualities;  and  to  him  yield  up  your  guidance  entirely.  This 
man,  enlightened  by  God,  will  show  you  the  way  that  leads 
to  eternal  life.  "  Make  your  ways  and  your  doings  good,  and 
I  will  dwell  with  you." 

St.  Philip  Neri,  when  he  observed  a  youth  who  governed 
himself  well,  frequented  the  Sacraments,  and  allowed  himself 


166        The  Great  Feast  to  which  All  are  Invited. 

to  be  directed  by  a  good  confessor,  used  to  say, ''  If  he  does  not 
go  to  heaven,  who  will?  "  Our  Lord  in  His  sermon  on  the 
mount  says,  "Why  seest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy 
brother's  eye  and  seest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thy  own  eye." 
You  hypocrite,  take  first  the  beam  from  your  own  eye;  then 
you  may  be  able  to  remove  the  mote  from  your  brother's. 
We  see  the  smallest  defect  in  others,  but  of  our  own  great 
shortcomings  we  make  not  the  least  difficulty.  Thomas  a 
Kempis  tells  us,  "In  others  we  blame  the  smallest  failings, 
whilst  the  greater  defects  in  ourselves  we  pass  over  lightly." 
You  notice  a  slight  disobedience  in  your  companion,  and  you 
cry  out  in  astonishment,  "  What  insubordination! "  You 
see  another  talking  in  church.  "  What  little  piety  he  has! " 
you  say.  Another  has  been  caught  in  a  lie;  you  never  forget 
it;  in  your  eyes  he  is  a  liar  forever.  In  short,  you  see  the 
mote  in  your  brother's  eye.  Since  you  know  that  you  are 
sometimes  guilty  of  these  very  failings  yourself,  do  you  ever 
say  to  yourself,  "You  unruly  fellow,  you  liar,  you  wretch 
without  devotion  "  ?  Therefore  study  to  know  yourself,  and 
by  frequent  examination  of  conscience  learn  your  own  condi- 
tion. Be  humble,  for  humility  is  pleasing  to  God,  and  you 
will  not  be  of  the  number  of  those  of  whom  Jesus  Christ 
speaks,  "  Thou  hypocrite,  cast  out  first  the  beam  out  of  thy 
own  eye  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast  the  mote  out  of 
thy  brother's  eye." 

SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  xiv.  16-24.  At  that  time:  Jesus  spoke  to  the  Phari- 
sees this  parable:  A  certain  man  made  a  great  supper,  and  invited 
many.  And  he  sent  his  servant  at  the  hour  of  supper  to  say  to  them 
that  were  invited,  that  they  should  come,  for  now  all  things  are 
ready.  And  they  began  all  at  once  to  make  excuse.  The  first  said  to 
him:  I  have  bought  a  farm,  and  I  must  needs  go  out  and  see  it:  I 
pray  thee,  hold  me  excused.  And  another  said:  I  have  bought  five 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  I  go  to  try  them;  I  pray  thee,  hold  me  excused. 
And  another  said:   I  have  married  a  wife,  and  therefore  I  cannot 


Second  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  167 

come.  And  the  servant  returning  told  these  things  to  his  lord.  Then 
the  master  of  the  house,  being  angry,  said  to  his  servant:  Go  out 
quickly  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city:  and  bring  in  hither 
the  poor  and  the  feeble,  and  the  blind  and  the  lame.  And  the  servant 
said:  Lord,  it  is  done  as  thou  hast  commanded,  and  yet  there  is 
room.  And  the  Lord  said  to  the  servant:  Go  out  into  the  highways 
and  hedges;  and  compel  them  to  come  in,  that  my  house  may  be 
filled.  But  I  say  unto  you  that  none  of  those  men  that  were  invited, 
shall  taste  of  my  supper. 


THE   GREAT  FEAST  TO   WHICH  ALL  ARE   INVITED. 

We  are  within  the  octave  of  the  most  beautiful  feast  of  the 
Church,  the  feast  of  Corpus  Christi;  and  the  Church  wisely 
chooses  the  parable  of  the  great  feast  to  which  all  are  in- 
vited as  the  subject  of  our  meditation  to-day.  This  great 
feast  represents  the  most  august,  the  most  holy  Sacrament 
of  the  Altar,  and  with  what  great  solemnity  it  is  celebrated! 
The  altars  are  magnificently  decorated,  innumerable  lights 
are  lighted,  incense  ascends  in  clouds,  processions  are  formed, 
benediction  is  given  so  as  to  make  us  understand  that  the 
good  Jesus  is  with  us,  and  that  hence  we  should  love  Him  and 
adore  Him.  In  order  that  you  may  be  moved  to  this  love, 
think  of  the  great  love,  even  the  excess  of  love,  by  which  the 
Lord  invites  us  to  so  rich,  so  magnificent  a  banquet — in 
which  He  offers  His  sacred  flesh  as  our  food,  and  His  precious 
blood  as  our  drink. 

"  A  certain  rich  man  made  a  great  feast."  Enter  the  hall 
of  the  Last  Supper  at  Jerusalem,  where  the  divine  Eedeemer 
sat  among  His  Apostles.  Jesus,  His  face  aglow  with  divine 
love,  turns  at  the  end  of  the  meal  to  His  disciples  and  tells 
them  that  the  hour  has  come  when  He  must  return  to  the 
Father;  but  He  bids  them  be  not  afraid  nor  dejected,  for  He 
will  remain  with  them  till  the  end  of  time.  Then  He  took 
bread  into  His  hands,  those  hands  which  made  heaven  and 
earth,  and  blessed  it  and  said,  "  This  is  My  body  which  is 
given  for  you;    do  this  for  a  commemoration  of  Me.     In 


168        The  Great  Feast  to  which  All  are  Invited, 

like  manner  the  chalice  also  after  He  had  supped,  saying. 
This  is  the  chalice  of  the  New  Testament  in  My  blood, 
which  shall  be  shed  for  you."  To  understand  the  great  love 
with  which  the  amiable  Saviour  did  this,  consider  when  this 
was  done.  Not  in  those  days  when  Our  Saviour  was  going 
about  in  His  glory,  working  miracles  before  the  admiring 
crowd  that  followed  Him.  He  did  not  even  institute  this 
holy  Sacrament  when,  after  having  preached  and  moved  the 
people,  a  woman  cried  out,  ''  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bore 
Thee  and  the  paps  that  gave  Thee  suck."  Not  in  the  days 
of  His  triumph,  when  He  had  fed  five  thousand  people,  and 
had  led  them  spellbound  for  days  through  the  country,  and 
they  came  to  take  Him  by  force  and  make  Him  king.  He 
did  not  institute  it  on  that  glorious  feast.  Palm  Sunday, 
when  He  made  His  entry  into  Jerusalem,  the  houses,  the 
streets,  and  the  gates  of  the  city  adorned  for  His  reception, 
and  the  people  crying  out,  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David; 
blessed  is  He  who  comes  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  But  He 
instituted  this  holy  Sacrament  on  that  sorrowful  night  when 
He  was  to  be  apprehended  through  the  treachery  of  Judas, 
His  apostle,  when  the  soldiers  were  about  to  lay  violent  hands 
on  Him  and  drag  Him  most  contumeliously  to  the  house  of 
Caiphas.  The  night  on  which  He  was  betrayed  was  the  night 
on  which  Our  Lord  instituted  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  You 
will  appreciate  still  more  the  love  of  Our  Lord  in  instituting 
this  holy  Sacrament  by  remembering  that  He  foresaw  all  that 
was  about  to  happen  to  Him:  the  insults,  scourging,  crown- 
ing; the  carelessness,  coldness,  and  infidelity  of  humanity 
was  all  before  His  mind;  He  saw  the  want  of  faith,  the  want 
of  gratitude  among  the  Christians  themselves.  He  foresaw 
that  the  Sacrament  would  be  sacrilegiously  used  and  abused. 
That  many  Christians  would  eat  and  drink  judgment  unto 
their  souls  for  not  discerning  the  body  of  Christ.  Every 
day  Our  Lord  goes  into  hearts  that  are  good,  and  into  hearts 
that  are  the  abominable  residence  of  the  devil.  But  the  love 
of  Jesus  overcame  all  difficulties,  and  in  the  excess  of  His 


Second  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  169 

love  He  cried  out,  ^^  My  delight  is  to  be  with  the  children  of 
men/'  He  did  not  wish  to  remain  with  ns  only  for  a  time, 
but  forever,  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  It  would  have  been 
a  great  favor  had  He  left  His  body  in  only  one  place  on  this 
earth,  so  that  it  would  have  been  necessary  to  travel  many 
miles  to  reach  His  tabernacle.  But,  no;  He  preferred  to  re- 
main within  our  cities,  near  our  houses,  in  our  villages,  out 
in  the  lonesome  country,  in  every  church  where  the  Holy 
Eucharist  is  kept,  and  there  He  remains  day  aad  night. 
What  a  great  favor  it,  would  have  been  had  He  promised  us 
that  once  in  a  lifetime  we  might  receive  Him.  But  He  desires 
that  we  go  frequently  to  Him,  and  He  even  binds  us  by  a 
command  that  we  must  receive  His  body,  and  drink  His 
blood  if  we  wish  to  have  life  in  us.  "  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to 
you,  except  you  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man  and  drink  His 
blood,  you  shall  not  have  life  in  you." 

Continually  does  the  good  Lord  coax  us  to  come  to  Him, 
and  in  familiar  intercourse  to  lay  our  troubles  before  Him, 
that  He  may  carry  them  for  us.  "  Come  to  Me  all  you  that 
labor  and  are  burdened,  and  I  will  refresh  you."  How  sweet 
and  encouraging  must  not  these  words  sound  to  the  poor  sin- 
ner. These  words,  "  Come  all,"  ought  to  make  us  run  with 
unbounded  confidence,  as  the  invitation  implies.  But  how 
do  the  generality  of  Christians  answer  this  invitation  of  Our 
Lord?  Do  they  often  go  to  the  Lord's  Supper  and  eat  the 
Sacred  Bread?  Many  after  this  kind  invitation  will  stay  away, 
refusing  to  yield  to  the  loving  importunities  of  Our  Lord. 
They  say  we  cannot  come,  we  love  the  world  more  than  Thee, 
we  would  rather  feast  on  the  pleasure  of  this  world  than 
feed  on  that  spiritual  food  which  Thou  dost  offer  us;  we 
are  too  busy  with  our  worldly  affairs,  and  we  cannot  come. 
Will  they  not  deserve  the  sentence  which  the  master  of  the 
feast  gave  out,  "  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  none  of  these  men 
that  were  invited  shall  taste  of  my  supper."  If  they  do  not 
come  to  this  feast  they  shall  not  enter  heaven.  Is  there  a 
beggar  faint  with  hunger  who,  if  he  was  kindly  invited  by 


170        The  Great  Feast  to  which  All  are  Invited. 

the  king  to  come  into  a  great  banquet  hall,  there  to  satisfy 
himself  with  delicious  food,  that  would  not  willingly  listen 
to  the  invitation,  and  be  glad  he  had  an  opportunity  of  eat- 
ing at  the  king^s  table?  He  would  be  a  fool  if  he  said,  "I 
cannot  come."  The  sick  man  near  his  death  would  not  refuse 
a  new  lease  of  life  and  freedom  from  sickness.  Those  who 
remain  afar  from  Jesus  are  poor,  famished  beggars,  miserable 
invalids,  because  they  are  in  want  of  the  food  of  the  soul 
which  Our  Lord  offers.  You  see  then  the  blindness  and  folly 
of  people  who  refuse  to  go  to  Jesus. 

What  a  consolation  it  is  to  all  good  Christians  to  love 
God's  altar  and  to  go  frequently  to  holy  communion.  You 
are  therefore  the  guard  of  honor  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament; 
defend  it  now,  and  show  your  real  faith  in  it.  Keep  your- 
selves steadfast  in  this  holy  devotion,  this  holy  adoration. 
The  time  will  perhaps  come  when  you  will  no  longer  have 
your  child-like  faith  and  fervor  at  the  altar.  What  has  be- 
come of  it?  Ah!  it  is  the  old  story;  you  fell  away  and  cared 
no  more  for  this  heavenly  food. 

Let  us  love  this  sacred  table  of  Our  Lord.  Let  us  ever 
hunger  for  the  spiritual  food,  the  body  of  Christ;  do  not 
love  the  banquets  of  the  world,  for  they  will  make  you  forget 
this  heavenly  feast.  Let  it  not  be  said  there  was  a  time  when 
you  were  good;  but  having  begun  well,  being  nourished  by 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  grow  in  virtue,  become  good 
Christian  men  and  women,  and  faithful  to  the  teaching  of 
your  youth;  often  receive  the  Sacraments  of  Confession  and 
Communion.  The  danger  is,  that  in  the  course  of  time  you 
may  become  careless.  Knowing  this  forgetfulness,  join  a 
society  which  will  keep  you  from  bad  surroundings  and  en- 
courage you  in  the  practice  of  your  duty. 


Third  Sunday  after  Pentecost  171 


THIED    SUNDAY   AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  xv.  1-10.  At  that  time,  the  publicans  and  sinners 
drew  near  unto  Jesus  to  hear  him.  And  the  Pharisees  and  the  Scribes 
murmured,  saying:  This  man  receiveth  sinners,  and  eateth  with  them. 
And  he  spoke  to  them  this  parable,  saying:  What  man  is  there  of 
you  that  hath  an  hundred  sheep:  and  if  he  shall  lose  one  of  them, 
doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety-nine  in  the  desert,  and  go  after  that 
which  was  lost  until  he  find  it?  And  when  he  hath  found  it,  lay  it 
upon  his  shoulders  rejoicing;  and  coming  home  call  together  his 
friends  and  neighbors,  saying  to  them:  Kejoice  with  me,  because  I 
have  found  my  sheep  that  was  lost?  I  say  to  you,  that  even  so  there 
shall  be  joy  in  heaven  upon  one  sinner  that  doth  penance,  more  than 
upon  ninety-nine  just  who  need  not  penance.  Or  what  woman  having 
ten  groats,  if  she  lose  one  groat,  doth  not  light  a  candle  and  sweep 
the  house  and  seek  diligently  until  she  find  it?  And  when  she  hath 
found  it,  call  together  her  friends  and  neighbors  saying:  Rejoice  with 
me,  because  I  have  found  the  groat  which  I  had  lost.  So  I  say  to  you, 
there  shall  be  joy  before  the  angels  of  God  upon  one  sinner  doing 
penance. 

THE  LOST  SHEEP. 

This  Gospel  is  a  most  consoling  one,  for  it  speaks  of  the 
mercy  of  Grod.  Often  a  sinner  who  hears  himself  menaced 
with  the  terrible  chastisements  of  that  great  Last  Judgment 
Day,  or  with  sudden  death,  or  with  the  never-ending  tortures 
of  hell,  is  not  at  all  moved,  but  continues  in  his  sins.  But 
when  he  hears  of  the  great-  mercy  of  God,  and  listens  to  such 
invitations  as  this,  '^  Be  ye  converted  to  the  Lord  your  God, 
because  He  is  good  and  merciful,"  he  yields  himself  up  as 
conquered,  he  sheds  tears  over  his  transgressions,  and  a  most 
notable  conversion  is  often  the  result.  If  any  of  you,  my  dear 
young  people,  find  yourselves  in  the  unhappy  state  of  sin,  and 
are  putting  off  your  conversion  from  day  to  day,  when  you 
hear  to-day's  Gospel,  treating  of  the  mercy  of  God;  of  how 
much  He  desires  the  conversion  of  sinners;  of  how  well  they 
shall  be  received  into  the  fraternal  bosom  of  Jesus,  I  am  sure 


17^  The  Lost  Sheep. 

you  will  abandon  the  ways  of  sin  and  become  a  victim  of 
divine  love. 

The  Pharisees  and  people  of  bad  repute  were  pressing  about 
Our  Saviour  and  listening  attentively  to  His  sacred  words. 
But  they  took  occasion  to  criticise  the  conduct  of  Our  Lord, 
and  said  of  Him,  "  This  man  receives  sinners,  and  ea,ts  with 
them/'  Our  Lord  knew  their  thoughts,  and  refuted  them 
with  the  parables  of  "  The  good  shepherd  "  and  "  The  woman 
and  the  lost  groat." 

My  dear  young  people,  could  Our  Lord  have  given  greater 
proof  of  His  desire  that  the  sinner  may  be  converted  and  re- 
pent? Even  in  the  severe  law  of  the  Old  Testament,  repent- 
ance was  possible  and  the  wicked  invited  to  conform  them- 
selves to  it.  "  I  desire  not  the  death  of  the  wicked."  ^^  0 
house  of  Israel,  be  converted  and  do  penance."  Were  these 
not  beautiful  expressions  of  God's  sympathy  for  the  poor  sin- 
ner; do  they  not  show  us  that  the  sinner  should  be  converted 
and  live?  But  much  more  plainly  does  the  parable  of  the 
good  shepherd  teach  us  this  desire  of  God. 

My  dear  young  Christians,  have  you  ever  gone  away  from 
God  by  falling  into  sin,  by  giving  up  the  sheepfold  of  the 
good  pastor?  No  doubt  there  are  some  among  you  that  have. 
This  Good  Shepherd  did  not  delay  an  instant,  but  rose  and 
went  forth  into  the  wild  desert  of  sin  to  look  for  you  in  every 
place,  watching  over  you,  and  inviting  you  to  come  back. 
What  caresses  and  kindness  did  He  not  shower  on  you,  just 
to  make  you  look  up  at  Him  and  recognize  Him  again!  What 
inspirations  did  He  not  infuse  into  your  hearts!  What  bit- 
ter hours  of  compunction  did  you  not  sometimes  feel!  To 
what  disgrace  you  were  reduced:  loss  of  honor,  loss  of  every- 
thing, so  that  you  had  to  cry  out  with  the  prodigal  son,  "  I 
perish  with  hunger."  When  you  were  the  most  miserable 
and  abject  creature  on  the  earth,  did  He  give  you  up  in 
disgust?  No;  the  lower  you  had  fallen,  the  greater  was  His 
mercy:  even  though  fallen  very  low,  you  were  still  His  lost 
son.    He  approached  you  in  the  kindliest  manner,  and  said. 


Third  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  173 

*^My  son,  we  stand  in  such  relation  to  each  other,  that  we 
ought  to  love  each  other.  Why  are  you  deaf  to  My  entreaties? 
Why  do  you  continue  to  commit  sin?  Not  a  day  passes  but 
you  commit  new  sins.  The  earth  with  all  its  creatures  cries 
to  Me  to  pour  My  vengeance  on  your  head;  but  I  wish  to 
pardon.^'  Why  does  the  merciful  Lord  wait  so  long?  The 
answer  is  plain  from  what  we  have  seen:  in  order  that  you 
may  have  time  to  be  converted  and  live  again  in  His  grace. 

Will  God  really  forgive  us?  Can  any  one  doubt  that  God 
will  not  pardon  us?  Oh,  I  have  been  so  sinful;  from  my 
very  childhood  I  began  to  offend  Him;  in  fact,  my  sins  have 
become  more  numerous  than  the  hairs  of  my  head.  Will  He 
still  pardon  me?  Ah,  my  dear  children,  do  not  add  to  your 
other  sins  one  which  is  the  blackest  of  all:  the  mistrust  in 
God's  mercy,  by  the  sin  of  despair.  To  despair  is  nothing 
less  than  condemning  yourself  to  hell.  If  He  did  not  desire 
to  forgive,  why  has  He  waited  so  long,  and  so  patiently?  His 
desire  is  to  pardon  you,  provided  you  are  really  contrite;  pro- 
vided you  say  with  the  prodigal:  "Father,  I  have  sinned 
against  heaven  and  before  Thee."  No  sooner  have  you  said 
these  words  with  a  heartfelt  sorrow  than  He  has  already 
wiped  out  the  account  of  your  sins.  "  I  will  not  remember 
all  his  iniquities.'^  He  will  place  the  kiss  of  peace  on  your 
forehead,  He  will  give  you  back  your  heavenly  inheritance. 
He  will  give  all  the  angels  a  great  feast  on  this  occasion.  "  I 
say  to  you  there  shall  be  joy  in  heaven  upon  one  sinner  that 
doth  penance,  more  than  upon  ninety-nine  just  who  need 
not  penance."  You  shall  be  more  dear  to  God  the  greater 
your  sins  have  been.  Is  this  strange,  my  good  young  people? 
Magdalene  was  a  public  sinner,  her  reputation  was  very  bad; 
but  after  her  conversion  she  became  dear  to  Our  Lord.  How 
privileged  she  was  in  loving  Him!  how  He  defended  her, 
and  raised  His  hands  in  benediction  and  absolution  over  her! 
'^  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,  go  in  peace."  Never  afterwards 
did  He  mention  her  faults.  Margaret  of  Cortona  had  also  led 
a  scandalous  life,  but  after  her  conversion  Our  Lord  appeared 


174  The  Wonderful  Draught  of  Fishes. 

to  her  and  said,  "  Thou  art  My  beloved  sinner,"  and  told  her 
He  would  make  use  of  her  to  bring  back  other  sinners. 

But  I  certainly  hope  I  shall  not  be  misunderstood,  nor  that 
some  may  say:  '^  If  God  is  so  merciful,  I  can  continue  in  my 
dissolute  life;  at  some  future  time  I  will  ask  Him  for  mercy, 
and  He  will  parden  me."  If  such  should  be  an  excuse  for 
our  sins,  God  in  His  justice  would  withdraw  His  mercy:  it 
is  one  thing  to  ask  for  mercy  for  sin,  but  quite  a  different 
thing  to  remain  in  sin  because  God  is  merciful.  No,  my  dear 
young  people,  never  abuse  the  mercy  of  God,  because  then 
you  will  excite  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty  against  you.  Once 
God  has  pardoned  you  who  knows  whether  He  will  pardon 
you  again;  there  is  certainly  a  limit  to  His  mercy,  otherwise 
you  might  say  with  truth  that  God  encouraged  you  in  your 
sins.  Because  God  is  so  merciful  will  you  offend  His  good- 
ness?   Should  you  not  be  grateful  for  past  kindnesses? 

Ah,  my  good  children,  let  us  hate  ourselves  for  our  mis- 
erable conduct;  let  us  chastise  ourselves  for  having  so  long 
abused  the  divine  mercy.  Turn  to  your  Father  and  throw 
yourselves  into  His  arms,  and  He  will  carry  the  dear  lost 
sheep  back  to  the  fold. 

FOUETH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  v.  1-11.  At  that  time,  when  the  multitude  pressed 
upon  Jesus  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  he  stood  by  the  lake  of  Genesa- 
reth.  And  he  saw  two  ships  standing  by  the  lake:  but  the  fishermen 
were  gone  out  of  them,  and  were  washing  their  nets.  And  going  into 
one  of  the  ships  that  was  Simon's,  he  desired  him  to  draw  back  a  little 
from  the  land.  And  sitting,  he  taught  the  multitudes  out  of  the  ship. 
Now  when  he  had  ceased  to  speak,  he  said  to  Simon :  Launch  out  into 
the  deep,  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a  draught.  And  Simon  answer- 
ing said  to  him:  Master,  we  have  labored  all  the  night,  and  have 
taken  nothing:  but  at  thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  net.  And  when 
they  had  done  this,  they  enclosed  a  very  great  multitude  of  fishes, 
and  their  net  broke.  And  they  beckoned  to  their  partners  that  were 
in  the  other  ship,  that  they  should  come  and  help  them.  And  they 
came  and  filled  both  the  ships,  so  that  they  were  almost  sinking; 


Fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  175 

which,  when  Simon  Peter  saw,  he  fell  down  at  Jesus's  knees,  saying: 
Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord.  For  he  was  wholly 
astonished,  and  all  that  were  with  him,  at  the  draught  of  the  fishes 
which  they  had  taken.  And  so  were  also  James  and  John  the  sons  of 
Zebedee,  who  were  Simon's  partners.  And  Jesus  saith  to  Simon:  Fear 
not:  from  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men.  And  having  brought 
their  ships  to  land,  leaving  all  things,  they  followed  him. 


THE  WONDERFUL  DRAUGHT  OF   FISHES. 

Our  Lord  was  so  kind  to  all,  and  worked  so  many  miracles, 
that  His  fame  traveled  far  and  wide;  from  all  quarters  of 
Judea  the  people  sought  Him  and  crowded  about  Him  in 
immense  and  ever-increasing  numbers.  His  words  bore  with 
them  so  much  grace,  that  they  melted  every  heart,  even  the 
hardest.  He  was  "full  of  grace  and  truth.*'  Consider,  my 
dear  children,  the  anxiety  of  that  crowd  to  hear  the  word  of 
God;  they  follow  Him  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  through 
the  desert,  and  through  the  country.  They  leave  their  trades, 
their  daily  avocations;  they  forget  even  the  necessary  food 
for  the  body,  their  rest,  their  sleep.  Tell  me,  my  dear  young 
people,  do  we  find  this  same  love  for  the  word  of  God  among 
the  young  people  of  to-day?  Instead,  we  find  disgust  for  a 
sermon,  and  our  young  folk  staying  away  from  church  be- 
cause a  sermon  is  to  be  preached.  In  vain  do  parents  and 
teachers  advise  them.  How  blind  they  are  not  to  see  the 
necessity  of  listening  to  the  word  of  God!  But  let  us  hope 
that  you,  my  children,  are  not  of  that  number;  that  you  will 
listen  with  attention  and  keep  the  words  you  hear  in  your 
heart,  where  they  will  be  the  food  of  your  souls. 

As  soon  as  Our  Lord  had  finished  His  discourse.  He  bid 
St.  Peter  row  out  into  the  lake  and  let  down  his  net.  Peter 
gave  answer:  "Master,  we  have  labored  all  the  night,  and 
have  taken  nothing,  but  at  Thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  net." 
We  must  admire  the  prompt  obedience  of  Peter  in  thus  cast- 
ing the  net.  Everything  had  been  put  away  after  a  fruitless 
night's  labor;   but  now^  at  Our  Lord's  command,  he  obeys. 


176  The  Wonderful  Draught  of  Fishes. 

Do  you  obey  with  the  same  promptitude?  We  disobey  our 
superiors  in  little  things  as  well  as  in  great.  They  tell  us  to 
avoid  certain  company  which  is  the  occasion  of  sin  to  us; 
that  we  should  go  to  church  and  to  the  Sacraments.  Do  you, 
my  good  young  people,  always  take  heed  of  these  instruc- 
tions? I  am  afraid  that  you  go  where  you  like,  and  do  as 
you  please;  there  is  no  one  whom  you  hold  in  sufficient  re- 
spect to  take  a  command  from  him.  These  are  serious  mat- 
ters. It  has  now  almost  come  to  it,  that  a  father  and  mother 
have  to  obey  their  children;  this  is  not  only  a  serious  mat- 
ter, but  disorderly  in  the  eyes  of  God.  Let  us  see  what 
Deuteronomy  says  of  disobedient  sons  and  daughters:  They 
are  to  be  taken  outside  the  gates  and  stoned.  This  severity 
of  the  Old  Testament  no  longer  exists,  though  the  State 
makes  laws  for  disobedient  minors,  locking  them  up  till  they 
are  of  age.  Still  that  severity  of  the  Old  Testament  is  a 
figure  of  God's  judgment  for  disobedience.  Be  obedient, 
then,  my  young  friends,  and  docile  to  your  parents  and  supe- 
riors. There  is  no  more  beautiful  and  attractive  sight  than 
to  see  an  obedient  son  or  daughter,  respectful  in  every  way 
to  his  or  her  parents;  such  obedience  will  bring  down  a 
blessing  from  almighty  God,  according  to  the  promises  made 
in  the  Old  Testament. 

I  would  like  to  say  a  word  about  the  answer  Peter  made 
to  Jesus,  ^^  Master,  we  have  labored  all  the  night  and  have 
taken  nothing."  These  words  can  be  put  into  our  mouth 
in  many  instances;  all  our  life  we  have  worked,  but  what 
have  we  for  it?  The  days  of  our  life  are  gliding  by  uselessly, 
we  have  labored  in  vain.  0!  let  us  awake  at  the  command  of 
Our  Lord  and  do  something;  let  us  not  pass  our  time  in 
sleep  or  in  labor  that  is  all  fatigue  and  no  gain.  We  do 
everything  for  the  body;  we  feed  and  care  for  it,  clothe  and 
wash  it,  give  it  exercise  to  keep  it  supple,  and  this  body  is 
soon  to  end  and  be  carried  to  the  grave;  but  what  do  we  do 
for  the  well-being  of  our  soul?  We  do  but  little,  as  if  we 
were  not  spiritual  beings. 


Fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  177 

Oh,  when  the  misguided  people  who  have  been  so  busy- 
through  life,  come  to  the  hour  of  their  death,  then  they  will 
see  the  truth  of  the  words:  '^  We  have  labored  all  the  night 
and  have  taken  nothing."  A  certain  worldly  man,  who  was 
not  a  bad  Christian,  was  on  his  death-bed;  certain  acts  of  his 
gave  him  great  concern;  the  confessor  was  at  hand  and  tried 
to  inspire  him  with  confidence  in  the  mercy  of  God,  for  the 
action  which  he  bewailed  so  much  was  after  all  a  small  mat- 
ter. "  Ah!  "  replied  the  dying  man,  "  dear  Father,  wait  until 
you  have  the  blessed  candle  in  your  hand,  and  the  hour  of 
your  death  near;  then  you  will  not  say  these  things  are  small 
matters;  then  every  defect  in  your  life  will  assume  a  great 
magnitude."  Many  things  that  now  appear  to  us  as  fun  and 
frolic  will  then  seem  to  us  mortal  sins.  Those  lustful  glances, 
those  bad  confessions  in  which,  out  of  shame,  you  refrained 
from  telling  all  your  sins;  those  communions  made  in  a  state 
of  doubtful  conscience,  will  then  rise  before  you  and  you  will 
not  be  able  to  silence  the  interior  voice  by  persuading  your- 
self that  those  matters  are  of  little  moment.  Oh!  if  we  only 
worked  half  as  hard  to  save  our  souls  as  others  do  to  damn 
them,  we  would  become  saints.  "  They  have  fatigued  them- 
selves in  doing  evil." 

Look  how  you  have  abused  the  precious  graces  which  God 
has  given  you!  What  will  you  think  of  those  lost  opportuni- 
ties? You  were  brought  up  well,  and  put  on  the  path  to 
heaven.  You  often  heard  the  word  of  God,  and  received  the 
Sacraments.  With  all  these  advantages  you  should  have  be- 
come a  saint.  But  remember,  my  dear  young  people,  if  you 
understand  at  the  hour  of  your  death  the  evil  you  have  done, 
it  is  a  great  grace,  for  with  the  help  of  the  Sacraments  it  will 
lead  you  to  conversion.  It  often  happens  that  even  at  the 
hour  of  death  you  do  not  recognize  your  wickedness;  only 
when  you  die,  and  are  judged,  will  you  see,  alas,  too  late! 
that  you  have  led  an  evil  life.  Did  not  this  happen  to  the 
rich  man  of  whom  Our  Lord  speaks?  While  he  lived,  as  the 
Gospel  describes,  he  had  the  enjoyment  of  wealth  to  its  fullest 


178  TJie  Wonderful  Draught  of  Fishes, 

extent;  he  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion,  had  a  luxurious 
table  and  pleasures  of  every  kind;  but  he  was  buried  in  hell, 
and  when  he  opened  his  eyes  he  saw  the  poor  Lazarus,  whom 
he  had  despised,  in  Abraham's  bosom.  What  an  awakening 
to  reason,  and  to  a  recognition  of  his  duties!  You  who  are 
still  in  life  can  repair  the  evil  you  have  done,  and  accomplish 
something  to  merit  heaven;  perhaps  God  may  yet  give  you 
many  days  to  labor  for  eternal  life. 

Our  divine  Redeemer  saw  the  astonishment  of  Peter  when 
that  great  mass  of  fish  was  caught.  Peter  knew  it  was  a 
miracle,  and  a  miracle  wrought  as  a  reward  for  his  obedience, 
and,  recognizing  his  unworthiness,  he  cried  out,  '^  Depart 
from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  0  Lord."  He  thought  him- 
self unworthy  to  be  received  into  the  company  of  Him  whom 
he  acknowledged  to  be  his  God.  But  Our  Lord  infused  a 
new  life  into  him,  gave  him  a  new  calling,  forgave  all  the 
past,  and  corrected  it  by  His  holy  grace.  "Fear  not,"  said 
Jesus,  "from  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men."  How  can 
we,  too,  my  young  people,  become  fishers  of  men?  We  can  do 
it  by  good  example  among  our  companions.  In  the  past  we 
may  have  ruined  many  a  soul  by  the  wickedness  of  our  life; 
we  may  have  drawn  them  gradually  into  a  life  of  sin.  What 
dreadful  evil  have  we  done!  How  hard  it  will  be  to  make  up 
for  it,  for,  while  we  are  converted,  have  we  not  perhaps  this 
sorrow  before  our  eyes  that  the  evil  we  have  started  is  still 
growing  in  those  whom  we  have  perverted?  Let  us,  then, 
still  try  to  do  something  practical  to  endeavor  to  bring  back 
those  we  have  led  astray;  let  us  pray  for  them,  seek  them, 
and  speak  to  them.  Let  us  follow  Our  Saviour  as  did  St. 
Peter,  who  followed  Jesus  after  he  had  been  called  and  re- 
mained faithful  in  his  vocation.    "  Come,  follow  Me." 


Fifth  Simday  after  Pentecost  179 


FIFTH   SUNDAY   AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt,  v.  20-24.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
Amen  I  tell  you,  unless  your  justice  abound  more  than  that  of  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
You  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old:  Thou  shalt  not  kill: 
and  whosoever  shall  kill  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment.  But  I 
say  to  you:  that  whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother,  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment.  And  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother, 
Kaca,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  council.  And  whosoever  shall  say, 
Thou  fool:  shall  be  in  danger  of  hell  fire.  If  therefore  thou  offer  thy 
gift  at  the  altar,  and  there  thou  remember  that  thy  brother  hath  any- 
thing against  thee:  leave  there  thy  offering  before  the  altar,  and  go 
first  to  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then  coming  thou  shalt  offer 
thy  gift. 

CHAEITY  TOWARD  OUR  NEIGHBOR. 

The  Pharisees  and  Scribes  were  a  certain  class  of  Jews 
who  in  outward  habits  were  most  scrupulously  correct.  They 
fasted,  prayed  publicly  in  the  Temple,  and  gave  ostentatious 
alms.  Our  Lord  knew  them:  He  could  see  into  their  hearts, 
and  knew  that  they  were  not  sincere.  Therefore  He  said: 
"  Unless  your  justice  abound  more  than  that  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.^'  Their  virtues  were  only  a  show,  and  did  not  reach 
the  soul;  so  wicked  were  they  that  their  hearts  were  the 
seat  of  most  abominable  vices.  Our  Lord  called  them 
whitened  sepulchres;  all  was  well  on  the  outside,  but  the 
inside  was  full  of  the  vilest  corruption. 

Have  we  not  Pharisees  among  us,  my  dear  young  friends? 
There  are  people  who  put  on  the  appearance  of  sanctity:  they 
might  be  thought  angels  of  perfection,  but  they  are  whitened 
sepulchres,  full  of  loathsome  corruption  and  horrible  vices. 
They  wish  to  commit  sin,  and  they  indulge  in  it;  they  keep 
their  vices  secret;  they  put  on  the  appearance  of  purity  to 
the  eyes  of  others;  they  keep  up  a  certain  respectability.  In 
their  eyes,  to  be  caught  and  to  be  known  as  having  com- 


180  Charity  toward  our  JS'eighhor , 

mitted  certain  vices  is  more  disgraceful  than  to  sin.  We  are 
frequently  deceived  by  appearances;  but  God,  who  sees  into 
the  heart,  cannot  be  deceived.  What  good  would  result  from 
it,  if  every  one  should  consider  you  good,  while  in  reality  you 
are  bad;  you  certainly  do  not  think  you  will  gain  any  merit 
by  an  outward  show  of  virtue.  There  are  people  who  actually 
wish  to  be  wicked;  they  are  not  ashamed  of  it,  but  boast  of 
the  fact  and  wish  to  be  praised  for  it.  Some  will  openly 
break  the  law  of  the  fasts  of  the  Church  and  not  hide  it; 
they  despise  that  law  as  unreasonable.  When  in  public  eat- 
ing-houses with  their  companions,  they  will  make  known 
their  aversion  to  the  law  by  eating  meat  on  forbidden  days. 
The  Pharisees  loved  to  make  a  display  of  their  piety  in  the 
church:  a  thing  which,  after  all,  cannot  be  called  bad,  for 
the  good  Christian  does  this  and  should  do  it.  But  are  there 
not  young  men  who  go  to  church  to  laugh  and  to  talk?  The 
Pharisees  looked  for  the  high  and  honored  places  as  a  kind 
of  tribute  to  their  exalted  virtues.  Are  there  not  young  men 
who  exult  in  evil,  and  want  to  be  the  ringleaders  in  crime? 

Older  brothers  are  frequently  the  teachers  of  vice  to  their 
younger  brethren.  How  many,  therefore,  rise  in  the  pulpit 
of  sin  to  teach  iniquity  and  put  themselves  forward,  so  that 
they  may  lead  others  into  sin?  What  will  Our  Lord  say  of 
such  people,  when  He  was  so  severe  on  the  Pharisees?  Are 
they  not  worse?  The  Pharisees  gave  good  example  in  some 
things. 

After  Our  Lord  had  made  the  declaration,  "Unless  your 
justice  abound  more  than  that  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  He  con- 
tinues: ''You  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old: 
Thou  shalt  not  kill:  and  whosoever  shall  kill,  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment.  But  I  say  to  you:  that  whosoever 
is  angry  with  his  brother,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment. 
And  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Raca:  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  council.  And  whosoever  shall  say,  Thou  fool: 
shall  be  in  danger  of  hell  fire.    If  therefore  thou  offer  thy 


Fifth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  181 

gift  at  the  altar,  and  there  thou  remember  that  thy  brother 
hath  anything  against  thee:  Leave  there  thy  offering  before 
the  altar,  and  go  first  to  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother:  and 
then  coming  thou  shalt  offer  thy  gift."  In  these  words  Our 
Lord  recommends  charity  toward  our  neighbor.  I  remember 
that  in  one  of  my  former  sermons  I  spoke  about  this  very 
point.  I  shall  not  now  repeat  it,  only  to  say  again:  keep  no 
anger  in  your  heart  against  any  one  for  any  offence  what- 
ever; for  God  will  take  no  excuse  for  enmity,  and  will  make 
you  give  a  very  rigorous  account  on  the  judgment  day.  Never 
say  any  injurious  words  against  your  neighbor  or  your 
enemy;  never  make  fun  of  him,  or  play  wicked  jokes  on 
him;  never  laugh  at  old  people  on  account  of  their  infirmities 
or  poverty.  Remember  the  punishment  that  came  on  the 
children  who  mocked  the  prophet  Eliseus.  The  prophet  was 
going  up  a  little  hill  when  a  crowd  of  young  urchins  amused 
themselves  by  saying,  '^  Go  up,  thou  bald-head."  The  prophet 
could  not  contain  his  holy  anger  against  children  so  badly 
brought  up,  so  ill  behaved.  He  turned  to  them  and  said, 
"  Cursed  be  ye  in  the  name  of  God."  As  soon  as  he  had 
spoken  two  big  bears  came  forth  from  the  woods  and  tore  the 
boys  in  pieces.  Was  not  this  a  most  terrible  punishment? 
And  here  let  me  say,  too,  never  make  fun  of  priests  or  Ee- 
ligious.  Do  not  say  mean  things  to  them  as  Protestant  bigots 
do.  Of  all  youthful  excesses  this  is  one  of  the  most  horrible. 
The  Lord  once  said:  ^'  He  that  despiseth  you,  despiseth  Me: 
and  he  that  despiseth  Me,  despiseth  Him  that  sent  Me."  You 
need  not  insult  a  begging  friar,  but  give  him  something,  be 
it  ever  so  little:  this  charity  will  bring  a  great  blessing  on 
you.  Deride  him  and  God's  anger  will  descend  on  you. 
Make  fun  of  no  one;  do  not  follow  the  drunkard  nor  some 
poor  miserable  sot  of  a  woman;  feel  for  all  mankind,  but  for 
the  unfortunate  especially.  Make  it  the  principle  of  your 
life  and  conduct  to  protect  and  help  them;  be  not  so  cruel 
as  to  inflict  wilful  injuries  on  others,  for  you  cannot  be  a 
friend  of  God  and  at  the  same  time  at  enmity  with  your 


182  The  Feeding  of  Five  Thouscmd, 

neighbor.  Since  Our  Lord  put  such  importance  on  the  fact 
of  our  forgiveness  and  reconciliation  with  our  friend,  it  must 
be  that  it  is  a  serious  matter.  Live  in  peace,  in  charity,  and 
in  love,  with  your  friends.  0  charity  of  our  neighbor,  what 
a  great  virtue  thou  art,  when  thou  art  likened  to  the  love  of 
God!  Love  one  another,  love  your  enemies,  those  that  hate 
you,  and  those  that  talk  against  you.  St.  John  the  Apostle 
thought  of  nothing  in  his  old  age  but  the  love  of  his  neigh- 
bor; he  always  preached  the  same  sermon,  "  Children,  love 
one  another."  On  every  occasion  he  made  the  same  declara- 
tion; so  that  his  disciples  said,  "  Do  give  us  some  other  sen- 
timent." ^^No,"  said  St.  John,  "it  is  the  Lord's  doctrine. 
His  special  teaching.  Love  one  another,  and  if  you  do  this 
you  will  fulfil  the  whole  law." 

SIXTH    SUNDAY   AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Mark  viii.  1-9.  At  that  timet  when  there  was  a  great 
multitude  with  Jesus,  and  they  had  nothing  to  eat,  calling  his  dis- 
ciples together,  he  saith  to  them:  I  have  compassion  on  the  multi- 
tude: for  behold  they  have  now  been  with  me  three  days,  and  have 
nothing  to  eat.  And  if  I  shall  send  them  away  fasting  to  their  home, 
they  will  faint  in  the  way:  for  some  of  them  came  from  afar  off.  And 
his  disciples  answered  him:  From  whence  can  any  one  fill  them  here 
with  bread  in  the  wilderness?  And  he  asked  them:  How  many  loaves 
have  ye?  who  said:  Seven,  and  he  commanded  the  multitude  to  sit 
down  upon  the  ground.  And  taking  the  seven  loaves,  giving  thanks, 
he  broke,  and  gave  to  his  disciples  to  set  before  them,  and  they  set 
them  before  the  people.  And  they  had  a  few  little  fishes,  and  he 
blessed  them,  and  commanded  them  to  be  set  before  them.  And  they 
did  eat  and  were  filled,  and  they  took  up  that  which  was  left  of  the 
fragments,  seven  baskets.  And  they  that  had  eaten  were  about  four 
thousand :  and  he  sent  them  away. 

THE  FEEDING  OE  FIVE  THOUSAND  WITH  SEVEN  LOAVES  AND 
A   FEW   FISHES. 

OuE  Lord  and  Redeemer  Jesus  Christ  came  down  from 
heaven  to  take  upon  Himself  our  human  nature  through  the 
motherhood  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary — for  our  salvation 


Sixth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  183 

and  to  take  away  our  sins.  For  thirty-three  years  He  prepared 
Himself  for  this  mission,  in  silence,  prayer,  and  retirement, 
in  order  to  preach  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel.  As  He 
travelled  through  the  land  of  Judea,  He  was  always  attended 
by  crowds  of  people,  who  were  attracted  by  His  goodness. 
His  doctrine,  and  His  grace.  He  healed  all  manner  of  sick- 
ness, He  caused  the  blind  to  see,  the  deaf  to  hear;  the  dumb 
came  to  Him,  and  He  bade  them  speak,  and  their  tongues 
were  loosed;  the  dead  were  raised  to  life,  and  many  other 
things  did  this  great  wonder-worker  perform  in  that  little 
country  of  Judea. 

So  great  was  the  eagerness  with  which  the  people  followed 
Our  Lord,  that  they  forgot  everything,  their  food,  their  rest, 
and  their  business,  in  listening  to  His  eloquence.  They  for- 
got to  go  to  their  homes,  so  great  was  their  desire  to  be  in- 
structed by  the  Saviour.  This  should  be  a  lesson  to  us:  show- 
ing us  how  we  should  seek  the  word  of  God  and  listen  to  it 
with  avidity.  But  of  this  I  have  spoken  before:  let  me  now 
merely  remind  you  that  the  food  of  the  soul  is  the  word  of 
God;  that  unless  we  give  it  this  food  the  soul  will  lose  its 
vigor  and  fall  into  a  mortal  sickness.  How  many  are  there 
who  are  already  stricken  with  this  death,  and  do  not  know 
their  unhappy  state.  As  Isaias  says:  "  There  are  those  who 
call  evil  good,  and  good,  evil,  that  put  darkness  for  light, 
and  light  for  darkness;  that  put  bitter  for  sweet,  and  sweet 
for  bitter."  There  are  some  who  make  a  boast  of  not  having 
heard  the  word  of  God  for  many  years.  What  blindness  to 
boast  of  this!  We  hear  sermons  rarely  enough;  and  when 
we  do  hear  them,  are  we  attentive?  We  never  learn  without 
attention.  The  Emperor  Constantine  had  such  respect  for 
the  word  of  God  that  he  listened  to  it  standing,  and  when 
asked  to  sit  down,  he  said  that  holy  things  should  be  listened 
to  standing,  as  did  the  first  Christians  in  the  ages  of  fervor. 
Those  who  will  not  listen  to  the  word  of  God  with  respect 
and  attention  are  judged  by  the  words  of  Our  Lord  Himself, 
*'  My  brethren  are  they  who  hear  the  word  of  God.'^ 


184:  The  Feeding  of  Five  Thousand, 

Our  Lord  saw  this  great  multitude  patiently  following 
Him.  He  approved  of  their  great  desire  to  hear  Him,  and 
calling  His  disciples  together  He  said,  "  I  have  compassion 
on  the  multitude,  because  they  continue  with  Me  now  three 
days,  and  have  not  what  to  eat,  and  I  will  not  send  them 
away  fasting,  lest  they  faint  on  the  way."  Such  is  the  tender 
heart  of  Our  Lx)rd:  not  only  will  He  reward  fidelity  to  Him 
in  the  next  world,  but  even  in  this.  Hold  to  Our  Lord,  there- 
fore, with  all  faith  and  confidence.  David,  the  prophet  king, 
cries  out,  "  I  have  been  young,  and  now  am  old,  and  I  have 
not  seen  the  just  forsaken  nor  his  seed  seeking  bread."  Fear 
then  the  Lord;  live  good  lives,  be  obedient  to  His  laws,  and 
you  will  want  for  nothing. 

This  beautiful  lesson  the  elder  Tobias  impressed  on  the 
mind  of  his  son.  One  day  he  called  him  and  said:  "Fear 
not  my  son:  we  lead  indeed  a  poor  life,  but  we  shall  have 
many  good  things  if  we  fear  God,  and  depart  from  all  sin,  and 
do  that  which  is  good."  Tobias  and  the  Jews  were  in  exile 
and  captivity,  were  dependent  slaves  to  cruel  masters,  and 
still  he  had  such  unswerving  faith  in  the  goodness  of  God 
that  not  with  one  word  did  he  complain  of  that  providence 
that  ordered  things  in  this  way.  And  even  in  a  worldly  sense 
this  confidence  was  not  disappointed;  for  an  angel  became 
his  son's  conductor  to  a  far  off  country,  where  he  was  happily 
married  and  received  a  large  sum  of  money  for  the  relief  of 
his  necessities. 

Our  Lord  in  the  tenderness  of  His  heart  asked  how  many 
loaves  of  bread  there  were.  A  few  fishes  and  seven  loaves 
were  all  that  could  be  collected.  Then  He  made  them  sit 
down  on  the  grass,  blessed  the  loaves,  and  the  disciples  dis- 
tributed them,  lliey  multiplied  in  such  a  manner  in  their 
hands  that  all  had  more  than  enough,  and  seven  baskets 
were  gathered  of  the  fragments.  Did  you  ever,  my  dear 
young  friends,  reflect  that  this  miracle  is  repeated  at  all 
times  in  this  world  by  almighty  God?  When  the  farmer 
takes  the  little  seed  and  places  it  in  the  ground,  it  comes  up 


Sixth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  185 

and  multiplies  a  hundredfold  in  the  crop  that  is  gathered  in, 
and  many  millions  of  people  are  fed  by  it.  This  multiplica- 
tion is  not  only  seen  in  the  seed  of  the  field,  but  in  the  mul- 
tiplication of  fishes,  of  animals,  and  of  men.  Of  these  things 
we  do  not  take  much  notice,  they  are  in  the  ordinary  course 
of  the  things  of  this  world;  but  they  are  not  the  less  won- 
derful. Be  grateful  to  God  for  all  this,  look  up  to  Him,  and 
thank  Him  for  the  abundance  He  has  bestowed  on  us.  Con- 
sider, too,  the  innumerable  graces  that  God  has  been  pleased 
to  send  us  without  ceasing;  consider  the  light  He  pours  in 
upon  our  souls,  the  inspirations  to  our  minds;  the  helps  for 
our  spiritual  life;  the  Sacraments,  fountains  of  all  blessings, 
by  which  He  feeds  the  soul,  and  especially  His  sacred  body 
and  blood,  which  is  intended  by  Him  as  the  great  food  of  the 
80ul. 

St.  Teresa,  reflecting  on  the  great  benefits  Our  Lord  be- 
stows on  man,  especially  in  the  sacrament  of  His  divine  love, 
the  Holy  Eucharist,  says,  "  If  you  give  a  bone,  which  is  no 
longer  wanted,  to  a  dog,  he  will  show  by  his  joyful  leaps  and 
the  wagging  of  his  tail  how  glad  he  is  for  the  gift."  How 
grateful  should  man,  then,  show  himself  for  God's  wonderful 
kindnesses!  Impress  deeply  on  your  minds,  my  dear  young 
people,  the  gratitude  you  ought  to  show  to  almighty  God,  and 
use  every  means  to  glorify  His  goodness. 

Once,  in  the  amphitheatre  of  Eome,  a  slave  was  to  be  torn 
by  a  hungry  and  ferocious  lion;  when  the  unfortunate  man 
was  placed  in  the  arena,  the  lion  bounded  toward  him,  as  if 
to  tear  him  to  pieces.  But  instead  of  killing  him,  the  beast 
crouched  down  before  him,  and  acted  in  the  most  friendly 
way,  because  at  one  time  the  poor  slave  had  taken  a  thorn 
from  its  paw,  and  the  lion  recognized  its  friend.  Tremen- 
dous was  the  applause  at  this  fortunate  recognition,  and  the 
slave's  life  was  spared.  You,  having  reason,  and  knowing 
from  whom  all  good  gifts  come,  show  your  gratitude  like  ra- 
tional beings.  God  has  given  you  life,  has  preserved  it,  has 
given  you  health  and  vigor;    He  continually  protects  you 


180  A  Good  Tree  Giveth  Good  Fruit 

from  the  many  enemies  that  are  threatening  you,  especially 
the  devil.  What  has  not  almighty  God  done?  You  ought  to 
open  your  eyes  and  consider  yourselves  the  happiest  youths 
in  the  world,  for  all  the  benefits  you  are  enjoying  through 
His  goodness,  and  of  which  so  many  others  are  deprived. 
You  will  acknowledge  the  goodness  of  God  at  the  judgment- 
seat.  God  is  like  a  good  king,  who  took  his  favorite  out 
of  the  midst  of  destruction,  and  put  him  in  a  safe  place, 
whence  he  could  see  all,  and  where  he  would  have  him  acknowl- 
edge that  his  fate  would  have  been  similar  had  the  king  per- 
mitted him  to  remain  with  the  others.  You  will  see  the 
millions  of  wicked  sent  to  hell,  while  you  are  going  to  heaven; 
by  the  mercy  of  God,  you  have  been  preserved  and  placed  in 
safety,  where  the  fire  of  hell  cannot  touch  you. 

Then,  indeed,  and  for  all  eternity,  you  will  raise  your  voice 
in  thanksgiving  for  His  interposition  in  your  behalf,  "  when 
you  shall  see  the  sinner  perish." 

SEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  vii.  15-21.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
Beware  of  false  prophets,  who  come  to  you  in  the  clothing  of  sheep, 
but  inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves:  By  their  fruits  you  shall 
know  them.  Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles? 
Even  so  every  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit,  and  the  evil  tree 
bringeth  forth  evil  fruit.  A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit: 
neither  can  an  evil  tree  bring  forth  good  fruit:  every  tree  that  bring- 
eth not  forth  good  fruit  shall  be  cut  down,  and  shall  be  cast  into  the 
fire.  Wherefore  by  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them.  Not  every  one 
that  saith  to  me:  "  Lord,  Lord,"  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven:  but  he  that  doth  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  he 
shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

A  GOOD  TKEB  GIVETH   GOOD  FKUIT. 

"  Beware  of  false  prophets  who  come  to  you  in  the  cloth- 
ing of  sheep,  hut  inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves."  This 
will  prove  an  important  lesson  to  our  young  people,  for  the 
young  are  more  easily  led:    the  youth  will  do  anything  in 


Seventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  187 

which  he  finds  encouragement,  especially  if  it  flatters  the 
senses.  Not  only  did  Our  Lord  warn  us  against  heretics  and 
unbelievers  whom  He  might  place  first  among  false  prophets 
and  who  teach  errors  to  the  people,  but  we  can  apply  these 
words  also  to  people  who  are  Christians  by  name  only  and 
otherwise  are  corrupted  by  bad  principles  and  lead  bad  lives. 
These  nominal  Christians  are  so  well  disguised  that  the  wolf 
appears  as  a  lamb.  They  are  really  more  to  be  feared  than 
the  devil  himself.  It  is  important  then  to  study  the  ways 
of  these  false  lambs;  you  will  sometimes  see  them  act  in  a 
very  holy  manner;  they  go  to  Mass  and  consider  themselves 
better  than  the  rest  of  mankind;  their  good  works  are  done 
to  secure  the  praise  of  men — not  for  the  glory  of  God;  their 
principles  are  wrong;  they  say  that  the  young  should  have 
a  good  time  and  all  liberty  should  be  allowed  them;  parties, 
balls,  picnics,  theatres;  in  fact,  that  they  must  sow  their 
wild  oats,  and  that  they  will  make  better  men  and  women 
if  they  have  been  wild.  Such  talk  is  nonsensical.  Supposing 
these  principles  were  of  general  use,  where  would  it  all  end? 
and  what  a  dreadful  state  all  young  people  would  be  in! 
These  people  will  say,  too,  that  you  are  now  getting  big  and 
are  no  longer  helpless  infants,  that  you  have  certain  rights 
that  every  one  in  authority  must  respect.  Obedience  to 
parents  is  not  so  necessary,  and  blind  obedience  to  the  Church 
and  its  authority  is  stupid.  They  will  tell  you  that  your 
parents  are  old  fogies,  with  antiquated  notions;  that  in  our 
modern  days  many  things  have  been  changed;  that  these  un- 
bearable old  people,  with  their  continual  complaints,  need 
not  be  heeded,  for  they  have  neither  reason  nor  common 
sense  on  their  side. 

The  Church  authorities,  too,  have  no  right  to  search  into 
every  action,  for  they  are  too  strict.  These  false  prophets 
consider  that  sin  is  not  so  great  an  evil  as  it  is  represented 
by  priests;  that  it  is  a  little  forbidden  fun,  indeed,  but 
sweeter  because  stolen;  and  in  this  way  you  are  led  by  degrees 
into  considering  your  transgressions  as  light.     Instead  of 


188  A  Good  Tree  Giveth  Good  Fruit 

being  innocent  little  angels,  yon  are  now  experienced  in 
wickedness.  These  false  prophets  approach,  most  readily  the 
innocent  lambs  that  have  never  been  corrupted  by  sin;  those 
who  strive  to  belong  to  God,  and  those  who  are  very  devout 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

St.  Bernard  of  Siena  was  a  very  amiable  character,  and  of 
most  agreeable  manners;  some  wicked  companions  tried  to 
persuade  him  to  do  wrong,  and  thus  lose  the  great  treasure  of 
the  grace  of  God;  but  the  holy  youth  soon  noticed  it,  and 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  he  begged  God's  pardon;  and  he  was 
on  his  guard  for  the  future. 

Not  only  be  on  your  guard  against  those  who  are  covered 
with  sheep's  clothing — go  further  than  that  even;  be  on 
your  guard  against  bad  Christians  who  do  not  assume  any 
disguise,  but  appear  to  be  as  bad  as  they  can;  their  principle 
is,  that  those  who  do  not  know  how  to  enjoy  the  world,  or 
are  afraid  to  enjoy  it,  are  really  to  be  pitied. 

There  once  lived  in  Lancaster,  England,  a  young  man  of 
a  noble  and  virtuous  family,  who  was  well  brought  up  and 
well  educated;  as  long  as  he  was  a  pure  boy,  he  was  good; 
but  as  he  advanced  in  years  and  in  his  classes,  he  came  in  con- 
tact with  bigger  boys,  who  were  unrestrained  in  their  lan- 
guage and  bold  in  their  intercourse  with  others.  Their  man- 
ners seemed  to  our  young  hero  to  be  the  very  perfection  of 
manhood;  he  lost  all  taste  for  quietness  and  modesty,  from 
mere  talk  he  went  further  and  committed  acts  of  unclean- 
ness,  at  first  with  qualms  of  conscience,  but  in  a  short  time 
he  was  known  as  one  of  the  worst  in  that  neighborhood. 
Such  things  happen  every  day,  and  this  is  the  way  in  which 
they  begin. 

So  far  I  have  considered  you  innocent  lambs,  which  I  hope 
you  are,  and  will  always  remain;  for  that  reason  I  have  re- 
peatedly cried  out,  "  Be  on  your  guard  against  the  cruel 
wolves  who  appear  in  sheep's  clothing."  But  may  there  not 
be  such  wolves  among  you?  What  can  I  say  to  you,  miserable 
beings,  who  have  taken  upon  yourselves  the  office  of  the  devil 


Seventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  189 

and  seek  to  ruin  souls?  "You  have  your  father  the  devil, 
and  you  do  the  will  of  your  father  the  devil,  who  was  a  mur- 
derer of  souls  from  the  beginning."  How  great  is  the  crime 
of  which  you  are  guilty!  Had  you  taken  the  life  of  the  body, 
what  a  monster  you  would  be;  but  you  have  done  a  great 
deal  worse — ^you  have  ruined  a  soul  and  sent  it  to  hell.  Let 
me  continue  the  picture:  suppose  that  in  your  fury  against 
all  good  people,  you  should  arm  yourself  with  a  dagger,  and 
on  Sunday,  coming  to  church,  plunge  it  into  the  heart  of  a 
young  man  who  has  just  received  holy  communion;  it  would 
be  a  horrible  crime,  but  what  harm  would  you  do  his  soul? 
Kone  that  we  can  see,  for  his  soul  would  go  to  heaven,  with 
Jesus  in  its  bosom.  But,  on  the  contrary,  suppose  the 
wicked  young  fellow  accosted  this  pious  youth  after  commun- 
ion, and  led  him  into  sin,  with  Our  Lord  in  his  heart — what 
harm  would  he  then  do?  A  great  and  terrible  harm,  for  he 
would  then  be  the  occasion  of  the  spiritual  death  of  this 
youth.  How  terrible  would  be  the  curses  of  this  unhappy 
boy,  suffering  in  the  fire  of  hell,  against  his  wicked  seducer, 
nor  would  he  cease  to  utter  them  for  all  eternity. 

The  sin  of  scandal  is  for  that  reason  so  awful,  because  its 
consequences  continue  for  all  time.  "Wo  to  the  world  be- 
cause of  scandals.  For  it  must  needs  be  that  scandals  come: 
but  nevertheless  wo  to  that  man  by  whom  the  scandal  cometh. 
But  he  that  shall  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones  that  be- 
lieve in  Me,  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  mill-stone  should  be 
hanged  about  his  neck,  and  that  he  should  be  drowned  in  the 
depth  of  the  sea." 

They  who  give  scandal  may  expect  the  most  tremendous 
chastisements  of  God,  unless  they  make  reparation  in  time. 
The  person  who  reflects  seriously  on  this  would  be  inclined 
to  fly  from  the  world  and  hide  himself  in  prayer  in  a  desert, 
like  St.  Benedict,  who,  while  young  and  pursuing  his  studies, 
saw  the  danger,  and  preferring  to  be  ignorant  and  virtuous, 
rather  than  to  be  learned  and  wicked,  began  with  thirty  com- 
panions to  lead  a  monastic  life. 


190  The  Dishonest  hut  Wise  Steward, 

How  are  sins  and  vices  propagated?  They  certainly  do 
not  all  come  from  a  corrupt  heart.  No;  the  heart  is  corrupted 
by  exterior  influences  and  circumstances,  through  scandal. 
These  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  cause  it. 

But  supposing  you  have  been  guilty  of  scandal,  how  are 
you  to  rectify  it?  You  must  make  reparation.  Let  me  give 
you  an  example  of  a  woman  who  had  given  scandal.  The 
young  man  whom  she  had  led  astray  was  murdered  at  the 
very  door  of  her  house.  "  What  a  miserable  creature  I  am," 
she  said.  '^  This  blood  cries  against  me  for  vengeance.  I  will 
go  and  do  such  public  and  severe  penance  that  every  one 
will  be  edified." 

It  is  very  easy  to  give  scandal;  a  bad  word,  an  act  or  a 
gesture  may  suffice  to  encourage  others  to  fall  into  sin.  Then 
do  not  think  lightly  of  your  exterior  conduct;  regulate  it 
and  watch  over  it  with  such  solicitude  that  you  will  not  lead 
others  into  sin  or  into  the  ways  of  a  careless  life.  *^  Every 
tree  that  doth  not  yield  good  fruit  shall  be  cut  down  and 
cast  into  the  fire."  "  Not  every  one  that  saith  to  Me,  Lord, 
Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he  that 
doth  the  will  of  my  Father,  who  is  in  heaven,  he  shall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  And  certainly  it  is  not  doing 
the  will  of  God  to  ruin  souls.  If  you  have  given  scandal, 
pray  fervently  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  and  do  penance  all  your 
life.  This  the  holy  King  David  did,  after  his  great  fall  into 
sin:  "  I  will  teach  the  unjust  Thy  ways,  and  the  wicked  shall 
be  converted  to  Thee." 

EIGHTH    SUNDAY   AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Lvke  xvi.  1-9.  At  that  time,  Jesus  spoke  to  Ms  disciples 
this  parable:  There  was  a  certain  rich  man  who  had  a  steward:  and 
the  same  was  accused  unto  him,  that  he  had  wasted  his  goods.  And 
he  called  him,  and  said  to  him:  How  is  it  that  I  hear  this  of  thee? 
give  an  account  of  thy  stewardship:  for  now  thou  canst  be  steward 
no  longer.  And  the  steward  said  within  himself:  What  shall  I  do, 
because  my  lord  taketh  away  from  me  the  stewardship?  To  dig  I  am 


EigMh  Svmday  after  Pentecost,  191 

not  able,  to  beg  I  am  ashamed.  I  know  what  I  will  do,  that  when  1 
shall  be  removed  from  the  stewardship,  they  may  receive  me  into 
their  houses.  Therefore  calling  together  every  one  of  his  lord's 
debtors,  he  said  to  the  first:  How  much  dost  thou  owe  my  lord?  But 
he  said:  An  hundred  barrels  of  oil.  And  he  said  to  him:  Take  thy 
bill  and  sit  down  quickly,  and  write  fifty.  Then  he  said  to  another: 
And  how  much  dost  thou  owe?  Who  said:  A  hundred  quarters  of 
wheat.  He  said  to  him:  Take  thy  bill  and  write  eighty.  And  the  lord 
commended  the  unjust  steward,  forasmuch  as  he  had  done  wisely: 
for  the  children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  generation  than  the 
children  of  light.  And  I  say  to  you:  Make  friends  of  the  mammon 
of  iniquity,  that  when  you  shall  fail  they  may  receive  you  into  ever- 
lasting dwellings. 


THE   DISHONEST  BUT  WISE   STEWAKD. 

It  was  the  custom  of  Our  Lord  to  speak  in  parables  to  His 
dear  disciples  and  the  Apostles.  '^  And  without  parables  He 
did  not  speak  to  them/'  as  we  read  in  the  Gospels.  It  is  an 
easy  way  of  giving  instruction,  and  makes  a  deep  impression 
on  the  mind. 

Who  is  that  rich  man  and  who  is  the  steward?  God  is  the 
rich  man,  who  possesses  the  whole  earth,  and  the  fulness 
thereof.  That  unjust  steward  is  the  man  to  whom  God's 
wealth  is  committed  for  administration;  God  is  then  the 
master  of  all,  rich  in  all  things,  powerful  because  He  can  do 
all  things;  all  that  is  on  this  earth  He  has  given,  for  man's 
use,  and  besides  He  has  given  us  many  other  gifts  and  graces; 
in  short,  all  that  we  have  comes  to  us  from  God.  What  have 
we  of  ourselves?  Be  not  so  foolish  as  to  imagine  that  any- 
thing about  your  body  or  your  soul  comes  from  any  other 
source  than  from  God's  generosity.  Would  it  not  then  be 
natural  that  we  should  use  all  things  for  God's  glory?  But 
what  are  the  facts?  We  misuse  the  gifts  of  God,  we  abuse 
our  bodies;  for,  finding  ourselves  strong  and  healthy,  we  de- 
light in  committing  sin.  We  abuse  the  gifts  of  the  tongue, 
for  we  say  bad  words;  we  even  curse  and  blaspheme  the  name 
of  God.    We  abufie  our  sight  by  looking  on  objects  that  stir 


192  The  Dishonest  hut  Wise  Steward, 

up  concupiscence;  we  abuse  our  hands  by  thefts,  by  injuring 
our  neighbor;  we  abuse  our  memory,  which  is  frequently  the 
willing  receptacle  of  all  past  wickedness;  we  abuse  our  in- 
tellect by  learning  more  and  more  of  the  ways  of  committing 
sin;  we  abuse  our  will  by  desiring  that  which  is  evil,  *^the 
soul  of  the  wicked  desireth  evil." 

My  dear  young  people,  appreciate  the  gifts  of  God  in  this 
life,  for  a  time  will  come  when  you  shall  have  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  the  use  you  have  made  of  these  gifts  and  graces. 

This  rich  lord  had  heard  that  the  steward  or  manager  of  his 
property  was  throwing  it  away.  He  became  angry,  he  called 
him  to  him  and  said,  ^^How  is  it  that  I  hear  this  of  thee? 
Bring  your  account  books  to  me,  that  I  may  look  into  them, 
for  I  will  not  allow  this  squandering,  and  you  shall  not  be 
my  manager  any  longer."  God  will  call  us  before  Him  at 
the  hour  of  our  death  and  an  account  will  be  exacted  from  us 
of  all  our  life.  Every  one  must  die,  every  one  must  make 
this  accounting.  "It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die, 
and  after  this  the  judgment."  Follow  me  now  in  what  I  am 
going  to  say.  Set  aside  for  a  while  that  lightness  of  mind  which 
is  the  mood  of  the  young  especially,  and  think  seriously  for 
a  few  moments.  There  will  be  great  pain  and  torment 
when  you  will  have  to  leave  in  death  all  that  you  have  in  this 
world,  parents,  friends,  and  riches:  but  it  will  be  harder  to 
appear  before  Jesus  Christ  the  Judge.  There  we  shall  stand 
before  that  throne,  without  friends,  without  father  or  mother 
to  excuse  us;  without  companions,  without  help  or  en- 
couragement, before  a  most  just  Judge,  who,  without  regard 
to  persons,  will  be  most  exact  in  His  demands  of  justice.  ^*  I 
will  judge  thee  according  to  thy  ways." 

At  that  dreadful  moment  we  shall  not  be  altogether  alone; 
two  angels  will  be  at  our  side;  the  good  angel,  our  guardian 
angel,  and  the  bad  one,  the  demon.  These  have  been 
struggling  for  possession  of  our  soul  all  our  life,  and  now 
they  stand  at  the  judgment-seat  of  God  with  us  until  they 
hear  what  God's  decision  will  be;  and  in  the  company  of  the 


Eighth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  193 

one  or  the  other  we  will  go  to  the  place  assigned  for  us  by 
God's  judgment.  If  we  died  in  the  grace  of  God,  the  good 
angel  will  stand  beside  us,  bright  and  triumphant;  if  on  the 
contrary  our  life  has  been  bad,  the  demon  prepares  to  take 
us  with  him  into  the  place  of  eternal  torture.  *^  Give  an  ac- 
count of  your  stewardship,"  says  Our  Lord.  I  have  created 
you  that  you  may  love  Me  and  serve  Me  faithfully,  but  no 
sooner  did  you  come  to  the  use  of  reason,  when  you  should 
have  known  Me,  than  you  turned  your  back  on  Me,  and 
waged  an  implacable  war  against  Me.  Now  give  an  account 
of  all  the  bad  thoughts  you  have  entertained  during  your  life- 
time, of  the  lustful  glances,  of  the  many  bad  words.  What 
evil  deeds  have  you  done  in  public  and  in  secret;  give  an  ac- 
count of  those  acts  of  disobedience  to  your  superiors. 

'^  These  things  have  you  done  and  I  have  been  silent."  Give 
an  account  of  the  Sundays  and  feasts  of  the  Church  dese- 
crated by  hardly  hearing  a  Mass,  that  you  passed  in  looking 
for  pleasures,  never  thinking  of  God.  You  did  not  hear  the 
word  of  God.  What  scandals  have  you  given!  Give  an 
account  of  the  souls  you  sent  to  hell  by  your  bad  ex- 
ample and  your  bad  advice.  What  good  could  you  not  have 
done,  and  you  were  so  neglectful  as  to  do  nothing.  You  had 
time,  and  threw  it  away  in  pleasures  and  amusements;  whole 
days  were  spent  at  play  with  your  companions;  many  hours 
of  day  and  night  were  passed  reading  books,  novels  good  and 
bad,  but  you  could  not  find  time  for  a  short  prayer.  Up  in 
the  morning  and  to  bed  at  night  without  a  thought  of  God. 
Yes,  give  an  account  of  the  many  means  of  salvation  which 
I  gave  you.  I  instituted  for  you  the  Sacraments,  which  are 
intended  for  every  station  in  life.  I  left  you  My  most 
precious  body  and  blood  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  to  be  a 
food  to  your  soul,  to  strengthen  you  in  the  journey  of  life. 
You  neglected  to  receive  it,  or  you  received  it  unworthily, 
and  consequently  My  graces  and  benefits  were  thrown  away 
on  you.  For  you,  I  descended  from  heaven,  became  a  child, 
and  was  laid  in  a  manger  in  extreme  poverty;  for  you  I  was 


194  The  Dishonest  hut  Wise  Steward, 

persecuted  by  the  Jews^  apprehended  by  them,  delivered  unto 
death,  crowned  with  thorns,  scourged,  nailed  to  a  cross  where 
I  shed  the  last  drops  of  My  blood  for  your  redemption:  ''  Yoa 
thought  that,  like  you,  I  was  silent."  All  these  gifts  you  have 
abused;  they  were  pearls  thrown  before  the  sinner  and  you 
trod  them  under  foot  and  despised  them. 

Eemember  the  day  will  come  when  you  will  have  to  give 
an  account;  it  may  be  very  close  at  hand,  it  may  be  in  a  short 
time,  this  year  or  the  next.  If  God  should  call  you  to  Him 
to  give  this  account  of  yourself,  would  you  be  ready,  and 
would  you  go  gladly  because  you  knew  everything  was  in 
order?  Many,  yes,  all  of  us,  would  beg  for  a  little  respite,  in 
which  we  might  redouble  our  efforts  to  get  ready,  still  to  do 
a  little  good  and  to  repair  the  evil  which  we  have  committed. 
St.  Bridget  was  told  by  an  angel  that  in  three  days  she  would 
die,  and  she  began  to  cry.  "  Three  days! "  she  said.  '^  Only 
three  days  to  prepare  for  eternity?  0,  at  least  a  year."  And 
this  is  the  case  of  a  saint. 

But  if  you,  my  young  friends,  knew  that  now  or  in  three 
days  you  would  die,  what  dread  would  come  over  you  at  your 
want  of  preparation!  and  if  you  had  but  these  three  days, 
would  you  not  spend  them  in  prayer?  The  man  who  is  con- 
demned to  die  does  nothing  but  pray  before  his  execution; 
the  priest  is  constantly  with  him,  so  as  to  keep  his  mind  on 
holy  subjects.  Under  such  circumstances  you,  too,  would 
think  only  of  holy  things;  you  would  fast  and  do  severe  pen- 
ance, you  would  give  away  all  that  you  had  to  the  poor,  in 
order  to  be  prepared  to  go  to  the  other  world. 

But  since  you  know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour  when 
you  will  have  to  appear  before  God,  live  as  you  would  if  you 
had  only  a  few  moments  to  prepare.  ^^  Thinkest  thou  this,  0 
man,  that  thou  shalt  escape  the  judgment  of  God?"  How 
foolish  is  such  bold  presumption!  The  thought  of  the 
judgment  peopled  the  deserts  with  anchorites  and  peni- 
tents. Even  great  saints  trembled  at  the  thought.  Holy 
King  David   trembled   at   the   judgments   of   God,   as  we 


Eighth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  195 

see  frequently  in  his  psalms.  "  0  Lord,  enter  not  into 
judgment  with  Thy  servant/'  he  said,  and  punished  his 
body  with  fasting  and  severe  penance,  "  Until  his  flesh  was 
changed."  St.  Hilarion,  a  very  severe  penitent,  coming  to 
the  hour  of  his  death,  had  great  fear,  but  he  spoke  to  his  soul: 
"Soul,  have  courage;  you  have  served  the  Lord  for  seventy 
years  in  the  desert  and  you  still  fear?''  St.  Jerome  thus 
wrote:  "  When  I  recall  the  thought  of  the  terrible  judgment 
which  shall  be  passed  on  me  at  my  death,  I  look  with  terror 
around  my  rocky  cell  in  the  desert,  and  it  appears  to  me  as 
if  every  stone  would  speak  against  me,  and  would  hurl  itself 
down  on  me."  St.  Jerome  prayed  day  and  night  in  a  most 
lonesome  desert  and  still  he  feared  the  last  judgment.  Mary 
Magdalen  of  Pazzi  after  forty  years  spent  in  her  baptismal 
innocence,  asked  her  confessor  with  a  trembling  voice: 
"  Father,"  she  said,  "  do  you  think  I  will  be  saved?  "  What 
fear  will  not  those  experience  who  from  their  tender  years 
have  committed  sin?  '^It  is  a  terrible  thing  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  living  God."  None  will  feel  this  more  than 
those  who  feel  the  weight  of  their  sins. 

When  you  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  great  Judge,  there  will 
be  no  chance  to  escape.  The  unjust  steward,  it  is  true,  found 
means  to  put  himself  out  of  the  danger  of  starvation  by  smart 
entries  in  his  account  book.  The  sinner  will  not  be  able  to  do 
this.  Our  Lord  praised  the  ingenuity  of  the  steward,  for  He 
said:  "The  children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  gener- 
ation than  the  children  of  light."  Because  we  have  so  much 
care  for  the  goods  of  this  world,  while  for  the  soul  we  have 
no  care.  We  know  that  to  escape  the  consequences  of  an 
adverse  judgment,  we  must  observe  all  the  laws  of  God,  for 
"  whosoever  shall  keep  the  whole  law,  but  offend  in  one  point, 
is  become  guilty  of  all."  We  break  all  the  laws  of  the  Deca- 
logue, and  we  are  unmoved,  because  we  do  not  realize  the 
gravity  of  our  act;  at  the  same  time  we  know  that  one  wilful, 
impure  thought  is  a  mortal  sin  and  sufficient'  to  condemn  us 
to  hell,  though  certainly  a  thought  is  of  little  importance. 


196  Jesus  Weeps  Over  Jerusalem, 

What  matters  it  if  we  eat  meat  on  a  day  on  which  it  is 
forbidden?  What  if  we  satisfy  the  demands  of  our  passions? 
These  things  are  serious;  think  how  terrible  it  is  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  living  God!  The  efficacy  of  prayer  will  then 
be  at  an  end;  no  one  can  put  in  a  plea  for  us.  Now  it  is  easy 
to  conciliate  the  just  Judge  by  a  good  act  of  penance,  by  a 
good  thought,  by  a  holy  aspiration;  we  can  make  Him  our 
friend  now.  How  precious  then  are  our  present  moments, 
when  by  so  slight  an  act  we  can  gain  heaven,  by 
such  slight  repentance  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  our 
sins!  Use  them  then  with  the  greatest  care,  and  be  as  greedy 
of  the  treasures  of  heaven  as  the  miser  is  avaricious  of  hi^ 
money.  St.  Francis  had  a  revelation  of  his  predestination,  and 
by  it  was  so  overcome  with  joy  that  he  nearly  died.  What 
will  be  your  joy  when  you  shall  enter  into  the  realms  of  the 
blessed? 

NINTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  xix,  41-47.  At  that  time:  When  Jesus  drew  near 
Jerusalem,  seeing  the  city,  he  wept  over  it  saying:  If  thou  also 
hadst  known,  and  that  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  that  are  to  thy 
peace,  but  now  they  are  hidden  from  thy  eyes.  For  the  days  shall 
come  upon  thee:  and  thy  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee, 
and  compass  thee  round:  and  straiten  thee  on  every  side,  and  beat 
thee  flat  to  the  ground,  and  thy  children  who  are  in  thee,  and  they 
shall  not  leave  in  thee  a  stone  upon  a  stone:  because  thou  hast  not 
known  the  time  of  thy  visitation.  And  entering  into  the  temple,  he 
began  to  cast  out  them  that  sold  therein,  and  them  that  bought,  say- 
ing to  them:  It  is  written:  My  house  is  the  house  of  prayer;  but 
you  have  made  it  a  den  of  tliieves.  And  he  was  teaching  daily  in  the 
temple. 

JESUS  WEEPS  OVER  JERUSALEM. 

The  time  was  near  at  hand  when  the  Saviour  of  the  world 
was  to  suffer  for  mankind:  when  the  occurrences  took  place 
which  are  related  in  the  gospel  of  this  day.     Our  Lord  was 


Ninth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  197 

coming  from  Bethany  and  going  to  Jerusalem;  He  was  to 
suffer  the  death  of  the  cross  for  fallen  man. 

The  news  soon  spread  through  the  city  that  Jesus,  the  great 
prophet,  was  about  to  enter  the  town,  and  great  was  the  stir 
that  this  news  produced.  The  people  came  in  crowds  to  the 
city  gates;  with  palm  branches  in  their  hands  they  met  Him, 
and  cried  out,  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David;  blessed  is 
He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  And  wherever  He 
passed  they  spread  a  carpet  of  trees,  green  leaves,  amd  flowers; 
they  even  spread  their  garments  on  the  ground  that  He  might 
walk  on  them.  Everything  and  everybody  had  put  on  a 
festive  appearance,  and  great  joy  was  manifested  by  all  at 
this  public  entry  into  Jerusalem.  But,  wonderful  to  relate, 
Our  Lord  was  not  filled  with  joy  at  this  triumphal  entry.  He 
was  sad;  tears  fell  from  His  eyes.  Why  was  this?  Because 
He  saw  that  in  a  few  days  this  very  multitude  of  people  would 
reject  Him;  now  they  believed  in  Him,  but  soon  they  would 
lose  their  faith  and  cry  out  for  His  crucifixion.  He  remem- 
bered the  many  miracles  He  had  wrought,  the  many  kind- 
nesses and  graces  He  had  bestowed  on  them,  and  the  black 
ingratitude  they  gave  Him  in  return  for  all  He  had  done; 
and  this  came  so  vividly  to  His  mind  that  He  wept  over  the 
city. 

Just  as  Jesus  wept  over  that  ungrateful  city  of  Jerusalem, 
is  He  pressed  to  weep  over  many  Christians,  and  over  the 
growing  generation  of  young  people.  Can  it  be  that  there  are 
people  who  make  Jesus  weep  over  them?  Yes,  indeed,  and 
many  even  among  us  grown  people;  we  are  so  easily  led  astray 
that  the  sufferings  of  Our  Lord  count  as  nothing  to  us.  There 
are  many  who  care  nothing  for  His  graces  and  favors,  who 
disregard,  outrage,  and  offend  Him.  Who  is  there  that  has 
not  committed  sin?  And  if  you  have  sinned  you  are  the 
cause  of  the  tears  of  Our  Lord ;  and  if  you  have  sinned  often, 
so  often  have  you  made  Him  say:  "I  have  brought  up  chil- 
dren and  exalted  them,  but  they  have  despised  Me."  I  have 
brought  up  children  and  given  them  so  many  manifestations 


198  Jesus  Weeps  Over  Jerusalem » 

of  My  gcwDdness  both  in  the  spiritual  and  natural  order,  and 
now  that  they  have  grown  up  they  refuse  to  serve  Me;  they 
are  worse  than  the  children  of  infidels.  They  are  the  children 
of  the  Church,  fed  by  the  Bread  of  angels,  and  yet  they  have 
all  the  vices  of  those  that  are  totally  ignorant  of  Me.  Tha 
old  bishop,  St.  Polycarp,  was  accused  at  the  tribunal  of  the 
proconsul  of  being  a  follower  of  Christ;  and  neither  by  pray- 
ers nor  threats  could  his  persecutors  make  him  deny  his  faith. 
Finally  the  Proconsul  proposed  that  if  Polycarp  would  pre- 
tend to  blaspheme  the  name  of  Jesus,  he  should  not  only  be 
allowed  to  go  back  to  his  see,  but  there  should  also  be  heaped 
on  him  honors  and  riches.  To  this  the  old  bishop  answered: 
"  Eighty-six  years  have  I  served  the  Lord,  and  during  all  that 
time  He  never  did  me  any  wrong;  on  the  contrary  He  has 
shown  me  many  favors.  Is  it  reasonable  that  I  should  deny 
my  Lord?^'  In  the  meantime  the  stake  at  which  he  was 
bound  was  set  on  fire,  and  Polycarp,  full  of  joy,  died  a 
martyr^s  death. 

You  ought  to  do  the  same  thing;  when  the  occasion  of  sin 
presents  itself,  you,  too,  ought  to  say,  "  God  has  never  done 
me  any  injury;  on  the  contrary  He  has  heaped  on  me  many 
benefits;  how  can  I  be  so  ungrateful  as  to  disobey  Him?  " 

Our  Lord  and  Eedeemer,  with  tears  in  His  eyes,  said  of  the 
Jews:  "  0  Jerusalem,  if  thou  also  hadst  known,  and  that  in 
this  thy  day,  the  things  that  are  to  thy  peace,  but  now  they 
are  hidden  from  thy  eyes!  ^'  Indeed  the  Jews  did  not  know 
the  graces  which  Our  Lord  had  offered  them.  He  offered 
them  conversion,  but  by  their  own  fault  and  malice  they  re- 
fused to  listen  to  Him. 

By  miracles,  by  prophecies,  and  by  His  own  words  proved 
from  the  Old  Testament,  Our  Lord  demonstrated  that  He 
was  the  promised  Eedeemer;  but  the  Jews  did  not  want  to 
know  it  and  closed  their  eyes  to  all  evidence.  This  made 
them  imwortihy  of  any  extraordinary  graces  by  which  their 
eyes  might  be  opened  to  the  truth.  The  same  thing  happens 
to  us  when  we  obstinately  refuse  grace.    ^^They  have  eyes 


N'Mlh  Sunday  after  PentecosU  199 

and  see  not,  ears  and  hear  not."  We  abuse  the  graces  given 
to  us,  and  it  is  our  own  fault  if  we  are  abandoned  to  our  ob- 
stinacy and  self-will.  When  the  sinner  falls  into  this  dreadful 
state  by  his  own  fault,  he  makes  no  effort  to  arouse  himself 
from  his  fatal  sleep.  The  ministers  of  God  try  to  bring  him 
to  his  senses  by  prayer,  by  preaching,  by  kind  and  loving 
tlireats  of  the  eternal  punishment,  of  the  Last  Judgment,  but 
he  remains  obstinate;  friends  and  parents  will  give  advice,  but 
all  to  no  purpose.  His  heart  is  hardened.  Salutary  punish- 
ments come  upon  him  in  this  life,  sickness,  troubles,  mishaps 
of  all  kinds,  but  he  will  not  see  that  they  are  meant  as  graces. 
Almighty  God,  seeing  that  all  chastisements  and  blandish- 
ments are  in  vain,  will  say,  "  I  have  ordered  your  destruction 
because  you  have  not  profited  by  My  visitation.  ^  Thou  hast 
not  known  the  time  of  thy  visitation.'  From  henceforth  I 
abandon  you,  no  more  will  you  feel  My  kind  reprimands,  no 
more  will  light  be  sent  to  you,  you  will  fall  deeper  and 
deeper;  you  will  die  in  your  obstinacy  and  come  before  My 
judgment-seat,  when  you  will  hear  Me  condemn  you  to  ever- 
lasting torment.'^ 

Have  a  care,  my  dear  young  friends,  not  to  deserve  this 
severe  sentence.  Jerusalem  was  a  city  dear  to  Our  Lord. 
What  a  fair  city,  a  picture  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  would 
she  have  been,  prominent  on  the  beautiful  hills  of  Palestine, 
had  she  acknowledged  the  Lord!  "  What  should  I  have  done 
for  My  vineyard,  and  I  have  not  done  it? ''  Yes,  the  greater 
the  graces  which  God  has  bestowed  on  you,  the  greater  should 
be  your  efforts  to  correspond  to  them.  You  have  been  like 
favorite  children,  who  have  received  many  kindnesses;  but 
you  disobeyed  God  and  defiled  your  sacred  bodies  by  abomin- 
able sins.  Could  not  Our  Lord  say,  "  If  youths  less  favored 
than  you  had  done  this,  I  should  not  wonder,  but  that  you, 
after  so  much  kindness,  should  do  it,  I  will  not  overlook.^' 

When  the  sinner  is  thus  abandoned  by  God,  the  same  dread- 
ful ruin  will  happen  to  him  as  was  foretold  of  Jerusalem: 
"  For  the  days  shall  come  upon  thee:  and  tihy  enemies  shall 


200  Jesus  Weeps  Over  Jerusalem, 

cast  a  trench  about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round:  and 
straiten  thee  on  every  side:  and  beat  thee  flat  to  the  ground, 
and  thy  children  who  are  in  thee,  and  they  shall  not  leave  in 
thee  a  stone  upon  a  stone." 

Voices  were  heard  in  the  Temple,  shortly  before  its  de- 
struction, "  Let  us  go  away  from  here,  let  us  leave  this  place/' 
The  angels  shall  fly;  the  devils  will  gather  about  in  numbers; 
then  will  be  terror  and  fear  of  what  is  to  come.  The  sinner 
will  cry  out  for  mercy,  but  the  Lord  will  no  longer  listen  to 
his  lamentation.  His  cries  do  not  proceed  from  a  penitent 
heart,  but  from  the  anguish  of  despair.  Did  not  almighty 
God  give  you  sufficient  caution  all  your  lifetime,  did  He  not 
say  that  He  would  let  you  die  in  sin?  The  hour  has  now 
arrived.  Hear  Him  say:  "  For  a  long  time  you  did  not  think 
of  Me,  neither  will  I  turn  My  thoughts  on  thee:  I  leave  you 
now  in  the  power  of  Satan,  to  whom  you  have  given  your 
body  and  soul,  and  whose  bidding  you  were  so  anxious  to  do." 

If  you  are  in  the  state  of  mortal  sin,  be  converted,  turn  not 
a  deaf  ear  on  Grod.  ^'  Now  is  the  time  of  your  salvation.  This 
may  perhaps  be  your  last  chance.  You  have  been  deaf  to  God 
through  your  life,  and  God  will  be  deaf  to  you  at  your  death." 
This  was  the  salute  which  a  saint  gave  to  a  great  sinner  whom 
he  met;  he  had  often  tried  to  convert  him,  but  all  in  vain, 
and  these  were  the  last  words  he  spoke  to  him. 

When  Our  Lord  came  into  Jerusalem  on  the  day  of  His 
triumphal  entry  He  went  directly  to  the  Temple  to  preach  to 
those  who  had  welcomed  Him.  When  He  reached  there  He 
found  a  great  bustle  going  on;  people  were  buying  and  selling 
in  this  place  consecrated  exclusively  to  the  worship  of  God. 
Our  Lord  was  angry  and,  making  a  scourge  of  ropes,  He 
chased  the  wretches  from  the  Temple,  saying:  '^  My  house  is 
the  house  of  prayer,  but  you  have  made  it  a  den  of  thieves." 
Our  Lord  appeared  severe  to  all  who  saw  Him,  but  He  wished 
to  impress  on  their  minds  a  very  salutary  lesson:  scrupulous 
respect  for  the  house  of  God.  The  good  Jesus,  who  on  all 
occasions  was  so  mild  and  so  meek,  that  He  said  of  Himself, 


Tenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  201 

'^  Learn  of  Me,  because  I  am  meek  and  humble  of  heart/'  was 
indignant.  The  zeal  of  the  Lord  glowed  in  His  soul  and  He 
arose  in  His  might  and  chased  the  buyers  and  sellers  from 
the  sacred  place.  Should  Our  Lord  come  personally  into  our 
churches,  what  would  be  His  conduct  toward  some  of  us,  my 
dear  young  friends?  He  would  there  find  His  wrath  rising 
within  Him,  and  would  chastise  those  whom  He  found  there; 
or  drive  out  of  the  house  of  God  young  people  who,  instead  of 
praying,  talk,  laugh,  and  ridicule  their  neighbors.  The  house 
of  God  is  the  house  of  prayer,  and  should  not  be  used  in  any 
other  way.  Eemember  what  St.  Paul  says:  "If  any  man 
violates  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy." 

Let  us  learn,  then,  from  this  severe  act  of  Our  Lord  how 
necessary  is  respect  for  the  place  of  His  habitation  on  earth. 
Enter  with  faith,  keeping  vividly  before  your  mind  that 
Christ  is  really  present;  that  this  is  the  great  palace  of  the 
King  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  if  we  would  behave  in  a 
respectful  manner  in  the  palaces  of  the  great  of  this  world, 
60  we  should  also  act,  but  with  more  seriousness,  in  the  house 
of  God.  Enter  it  with  fear  and  trembling,  for  God  is  there 
and  naturally  you  should  fall  on  your  face  in  prayer  and 
adoration;  enter  it  as  the  angels  would,  who  come  before  the 
face  of  Jesus  with  a  fervent  love  for  Him. 

TENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  xviii.  9-14.  At  that  time:  To  some  who  trusted 
in  themselves  as  just,  and  despised  others,  Jesus  spoke  this  parable: 
Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray:  the  one  a  Pharisee,  and 
the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee,  standing,  prayed  thus  with  him- 
self: O  God!  I  give  thee  thanks  that  I  am  not  as  the  rest  of  men: 
extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers:  as  also  is  this  publican;  I  fast 
twice  a  week;  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  possess.  And  the  publi- 
can, standing  afar  off,  would  not  so  much  as  lift  up  his  eyes  towards 
heaven:  but  struck  his  breast,  saying:  O  God!  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner!  I  say  to  you,  this  man  went  down  into  his  house  justified 
rather  than  the  other,  because  every  one  that  exalteth  himself,  shall 
be  humbled:  and  he  that  humbleth  himself,  shall  be  exalted. 


\.^ 


4^ 


202      The  Conduct  of  the  Pharisee  in  the  Temple, 

THE  CONDUCT  OF  THE   PHAKISEE    AND  THE  PUBLICAN  IN  THE 

TEMPLE. 

Our  Lord,  after  having  spoken  of  faith  and  prayer,  ad- 
dressed Himself  to  those  who  thought  themselves  good  and 
just,  teilmg  them  the  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  publican 
in  the  Temple.  Two  men  went  to  the  Temple  to  pray:  one 
was  a  Pharisee,  a  proud  man,  who  thought  he  had  always  done 
great  things,  who  was  puffed  up  with  his  good  deeds  and 
boasted  of  them  even  to  God  Himself.  The  Pharisee  asked 
for  nothing,  but  took  all  the  glory  to  himself.  He  stood  up- 
right, head  erect,  and  facing  the  altar,  full  of  pride,  he  prayed 
in  this  manner:  '^  0  God,"  he  said,  ''  I  give  Thee  thanks  that 
I  am  not  as  the  rest  of  men:  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers: 
as  also  is  this  publican;  I  fast  twice  in  a  week:  I  give  tithes 
of  all  that  I  possess." 

What  did  he  pray  for?  Eeally,  nothing;  he  came  to  pray, 
but  he  broke  out  in  praise  of  himself.  May  not  this  Pharisee 
be  a  picture  of  ourselves?  May  there  not  be  also  some  Phari- 
sees among  us,  my  dear  young  friends?  Are  there  not  many 
who  go  to  church  to  pray,  but  forget  for  what  they  are  there? 
Ask  that  young  man  when  he  comes  out  of  the  church  what 
favors  he  has  asked  of  God  at  this  most  precious  time  of 
public  prayer.  You  have  been  present  at  Mass,  you  have 
recited  some  prayers,  but  you  did  not  think  of  what  you  were 
doing.  St.  Augustine  says:  "  How  can  you  expect  that  God 
will  attend  to  your  prayers  when  you  do  not  think  of  them 
yourself?  " 

Young  people  are  very  apt  to  enter  a  church  just  as  the 
Pharisee  did,  as  if  they  were  going  to  a  place  of  amusement; 
their  genuflection  is  a  careless  jump  before  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament, their  heads  are  raised,  their  eyes  are  wandering  and 
in  a  few  minutes  they  will  be  able  to  tell  who  is  present;  they 
notice  w'ho  comes  into  the  church,  and  who  goes  out,  and  all 
this  while  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  is  being  offered.  It 
is  almost  impossible  to  believe  it:  they  are  disrespectful  here 


Tenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  203 

in  their  exterior  deportment,  but  they  would  know  very  well 
how  to  behave  in  company  or  in  the  presence  of  some  great 
one  of  the  world.  But  many  come  to  church  to  do  worse  than 
the  Pharisee:  they  come  to  laugh,  to  talk,  and  to  disturb 
others  who  wish  to  pray;  they  come  to  commit  sin  and  make 
others  commit  it.  The  Apostle  Paul  cried  out  with  zeal, 
"  Have  you  not  your  homes,  or  do  you  despise  the  church  of 
God?"  as  if  he  wanted  to  say,  have  you  not  places  where  you 
can  talk  and  laugh,  need  you  come  to  the  house  of  God  to  do 
this?  No  good  pastor  can  look  at  this  without  concern;  he 
vrill  not  allow  you  to  talk,  he  will  step  in  at  once 
with  a  reprimand  or  send  you  out  of  church  as 
a  punishment.  ^^  My  house  is  the  house  of  prayer,  but  you 
have  made  it  a  den  of  thieves,"  he  would  say,  using  the  words 
of  Our  Lord  when  He  drove  the  desecrators  out  of  the 
Temple.  The  pagans  shame  us  in  this  regard;  they  go  to  the 
temple  of  their  false  gods  with  reverence  and  respect;  the- 
Mohammedan  never  goes  into  his  mosque  without  taking  off 
his  shoes  at  the  entrance  and  washing  his  feet  as  a  sign  of 
respect.  These  idolaters  worship  false  gods  made  of  wood, 
stone  or  metal,  but  with  such  respect  that  our  outward  show 
of  piety  and  devotion,  in  many  cases,  is  inferior  to  theirs. 

Almighty  God,  who  is  thus  carelessly  treated  by  His  wor- 
shippers, will  not  let  such  conduct  pass  unpunished.  St. 
Chrysostom  says  that  the  reason  of  many  of  our  calamities, 
wars,  and  famines,  is  because  our  churches  are  not  held  in 
sufficient  respect,  and  kept  exclusively  for  the  purposes  of 
prayer.  Even  Socrates,  the  pagan  philosopher,  asserts  that 
the  desecration  of  the  temple  is  a  sign  of  the  anger  of  God, 
and  foreshadows  great  calamities  that  are  about  to  come  upon 
the  nation.  The  first  Christians  considered  the  churches 
heaven  itself:  here  they  came  sprinkled  with  ashes,  clothed  in 
sackcloth,  with  a  rope  around  their  waist  and  humbly  kissed 
the  feet  of  the  priest:  not  only  did  the  common  people  do  this, 
but  even  tyrants  and  kings. 

The  Emperor  Theodosius  entered  the  cathedral  of  Milan  in 


204      The  Conduct  of  the  Pharisee  in  the  Temjple, 

a  poor  garment,  and  when  he  came  to  the  threshold  fell  flat 
ou  his  face,  repeating  the  words  of  the  psalm:  "  I  have  been 
humbled,  0  Lord,  exceedingly;  quicken  Thou  me  according 
to  Thy  word."  He  remained  in  that  attitude  during  the 
sacred  functions. 

St.  Gregory  of  Nazianzen  writes  of  his  mother  that  she  was 
so  recollected  in  church  that  she  never  sat  down,  never  spoke, 
never  turned  her  back  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

These  examples  show  that  in  former  times  great  outward 
respect  was  shown  in  church.  I  will  not  ask  you  to  come  to 
church  covered  with  ashes  or  dressed  in  sackcloth;  but  when 
you  are  there  assume  a  respectful  posture  and  ask  God  to 
pardon  your  sins. 

Now  let  us  go  back  to  the  Gospel;  the  Pharisee  said,  '^I 
give  Thee  thanks  that  I  am  not  like  the  rest  of  men.''  What 
pride,  what  blindness  this  is!  In  reality  this  Pharisee  was  aa 
impudent  sinner.  Here  he  was,  in  the  presence  of  this  great 
healer  of  the  human  race,  standing  before  God  with  his  soul 
stained  by  this  dreadful  malady  of  pride,  yet  he  utters  not  a 
word  to  ask  for  help  in  the  sickness  of  his  soul.  He  should 
have  opened  his  heart  to  God  in  groans  and  lamenta- 
tions; he  should  have  recognized  the  meanness  of  this 
vice,  and  begged  of  God  the  grace  to  overcome  it;  but  the 
Pharisee  never  thought  he  was  sinfully  proud;  that  all  the 
good  in  him  was  changed  into  wickedness  by  this  vice. 

We  sometimes  feel  about  the  same  way,  for  how  often  do 
we  hear  as  an  excuse  for  the  want  of  religion,  ^^  I  do  not  steal, 
nor  curse,  nor  get  drunk.  I  do  no  man  any  injury."  Sup- 
posing you  are  all  that  you  say,  are  you  therefore  free  from 
sin?  Are  not  the  bad  conversations  held  with  your  com- 
panions, sins?    Are  not  bad  thoughts  which  kill  the  soul,  sins? 

I  am  ready  to  believe,  my  young  friends,  that  you  are  not 
guilty  of  great  sins,  but  even  so,  can  you  say,  "  I  thank  God, 
I  am  not  like  those  other  young  men."  Just  reflect  for  a 
moment;  supposing  you  are  not  guilty  of  grave  faults  ought 
you  on  that  account  be  proud?    You  know  well  enough  that 


Tenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  205 

you  lack  much  as  followers  of  Jesus  Christ.  You  cominit 
many  venial  sins;  you  know  you  tell  many  little  lies;  you  are 
frequently  disobedient;  you  have  very  little  devotion,  very 
little  respect  for  God  in  church;  you  are  careless  at  your 
prayers,  and  by  these  smaller  sins,  instead  of  advancing  in  the 
path  of  virtue,  you  are  going  back.  Again,  you  say  with  some 
pride,  we  are  not  as  bad  as  others,  for  we  have  not  committed 
great  crimes.  ^ 

If,  my  dear  young  people,  by  a  special  grace  of  God  you 
have  not,  up  to  the  present,  fallen  into  certain  great  sins,  yet 
if  you  continue  in  your  cold  way,  you  will  in  the  course  of 
years  certainly  fall  into  them.  If  pride  is  your  governing 
vice,  you  will  certainly  come  to  a  great  fall,  for  it  is  the  pun- 
ishment of  pride  to  descend  into  the  most  abject  humiliation. 

In  the  lives  of  the  Fathers,  we  read  of  a  monk  who  lived  a 
long  time  in  the  desert,  doing  great  penance  and  practicing 
many  virtues;  but  somehow  he  had  not  that  humility  which 
a  holy  man  ought  to  possess.  Almighty  God  wished  to  save 
him  and  so,  to  humble  him.  He  sent  him  a  temptation  and 
the  monk  fell. 

Instead  of  keeping  your  eyes  on  the  wicked  so  that  you 
may  say,  "  Thank  God,  I  am  not  so  bad  as  to  be  capable  of 
doing  that,"  keep  your  eyes  on  young  people  who  are  virtuous 
and  exemplary,  and  ask  yourself  why  you  are  not  as  good 
as  they  are.  These  people  are  devout  in  church,  they  fre- 
quent the  Sacraments,  hear  the  word  of  God,  are  obedient  to 
their  superiors,  patient,  mild,  polite  and  modest  in  thought, 
word  and  action.  Am  I  like  them?  Eemember  you  must 
acquire  all  the  virtues  of  the  good  if  you  would  be  good  your- 
self. Even  supposing  you  are  doing  very  well,  that  you  ap- 
pear to  walk  in  the  path  of  virtue,  you  cannot  consider  your- 
self perfect,  and  you  cannot  thank  God  that  you  are  better 
than  others;  for  after  all  you  are  only  like  a  servant  who  has 
merely  done  his  duty  and  is  not  worthy  of  special  commenda- 
tion for  that. 

Athens  was  a  great  school  of  philosophy  and  many  students 


206       The  Conduct  of  the  Pharisee  vn  the  Tevyple, 

flocked  to  it.  In  the  first  years  the  Athenian  student  boasted 
that  he  knew  everything;  some  years  later  on  he  felt  that  he 
knew  but  little,  and  finally,  compared  to  what  he  ought  to 
know,  he  admitted  that  he  knew  nothing.  It  used  to  be  said 
at  that  time  that  the  student  who  had  reached  that  pitch  of 
philosophy  was  the  one  most  applauded  for  his  success. 

Solon,  the  Gentile  philosopher,  held  this  principle:  "  Of 
this,''  said  he,  "  I  am  sure,  that  I  know  nothing."  I  think  the 
same  holds  true  of  virtue;  the  greater  opinion  we  have  of  our 
virtue  the  less  we  have  of  it.  "When  you  have  done  all  that  is 
required  of  you,  say  you  are  useless  servants." 

"We  have  said  enough  of  the  proud  Pharisee;  let  us  now  con- 
sider the  publican.  Who  is  that  at  the  farthest  end  of  the 
church?  Why  does  he  not  come  up  and  approach  the  altar? 
It  is  the  poor,  penitent  publican.  There  he  stands,  beating 
his  breast  with  shame,  and  with  tearful  eyes  raised  to  heaven, 
cries,  "  Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  Yes,  truly  he  was 
a  sinner;  but  he  acknowledged  himself  as  such,  he  bewailed 
his  sins  and  received  pardon  for  them  at  once.  We  ought  to 
have  that  same  feeling,  that  we  are  sinners;  we  should  ac- 
knowledge that  we  are  not  fit  to  stand  before  God  in  His  holy 
place.  Let  us  with  sorrow  confess  our  sins  to  a  priest  and  say, 
"  Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  Make  a  good  examina- 
tion of  conscience,  that  your  sorrow  may  extend  to  all  your 
faults,  none  forgotten  and  none  concealed.  Make  up  your 
mind  firmly  that  you  will  hate  these  sins  in  the  future;  turn 
your  eyes  to  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  and  pray  to  Him  that  He, 
your  Judge,  may  forgive  you.  "Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a 
sinner."  And  when  you  rise  from  the  feet  of  the  priest,  you 
will  hear  the  sweet  words,  "  Son,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee, 
go  in  peace  and  sin  no  more." 

St.  Francis  de  Sales  says,  "When  you  go  to  confession, 
imagine  you  stand  with  your  sins  beneath  the  cross,  that 
drops  of  blood  are  falling  on  your  soul  from  the  wounds  of 
the  dying  Lord,  washing  away  every  stain  of  sin." 


Eleventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  207 


ELEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTEE  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Marh  vii.  31-37.  At  that  time:  Jesus  going  out  of  the 
ooa&ts  of  Tyre,  came  by  Sidon  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  through  the 
midst  of  the  coasts  of  Decapolis.  And  they  bring  to  him  one  deaf 
and  dumb;  and  they  besought  him  that  he  would  lay  his  hand  upon 
him.  And  taking  him  from  the  multitude  apart,  he  put  his  fingers 
into  his  ears,  and  spitting,  he  touched  his  tongue:  and  looking  up  to 
heaven,  he  groaned,  and  said  to  him:  Ephpheta,  which  is,  Be  thou 
opened.  And  immediately  his  ears  were  opened,  and  the  string  of  his 
tongue  was  loosed,  and  he  spoke  right.  And  he  charged  them  that 
they  should  tell  no  man.  But  the  more  he  charged  them,  so  much 
the  more  a  great  deal  did  they  publish  it:  and  so  much  the  more 
did  they  wonder,  saying:  He  hath  done  all  things  well;  he  hath 
made  both  the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 

THE  BOEALING  OF  THE  DEAF-MUTE. 

OuE  Lord  was  considered  in  His  time  the  merciful  healer 
of  all  human  infirmities.  We  read  in  this  Gospel  that  a  deaf- 
mute  was  offered  to  Him  for  cure.  The  deaf-mute  is  con- 
sidered a  figure  of  the  sinner.  When  the  sinner  falls  into  a 
great  sin,  and  especially  when  he  relapses  often,  and  becomes 
habituated  to  it,  he  grows  deaf  to  the  voice  of  Our  Lord,  who 
is  anxious  that  he  be  freed  from  his  spiritual  infirmities,  and 
mute  in  declaring  his  trouble  to  the  one  who  could  cure  him. 
Our  Lord  is  impatient  at  this  sick  man,  because  he  will  do 
nothing  for  himself  and  will  not  co-operate  with  grace,  and 
so  menaces  him  with  the  terrible  chastisements,  which  often 
come  to  great  sinners;  but  all  these  threats  are  in  vain.  There 
are  many  such  deaf-mutes,  many  obstinate  sinners  among  our 
young  people,  and  the  words  of  the  ancient  prophet  can  be 
put  into  their  mouths:  "Depart  from  us,  0  God,  we  desire 
not  the  knowledge  of  Thy  ways." 

In  the  life  of  St.  Martin  there  is  told  a  story  about  blind 
people  that  may  be  very  applicable  in  cases  of  spiritual  blind- 
ness. A  number  of  blind  men  who  were  accustomed  to  gather 
near  a  church  to  beg  were  laying  their  plans  how  best  to 


208  The  Healing  of  the  Deaf-mute, 

succeed,  and  they  pointed  out  to  one  another  the  posts  they 
were  to  occupy.  After  a  while  they  heard  that  the  Bishop 
was  comiug,  whereat  they  all  scampered  off,  lest  they  should 
be  cured,  for  St.  Martin  was  a  great  worker  of  miracles.  They 
all  were  blind,  and  made  a  good  living  by  exhibiting  their 
infirmity  and  poverty.  The  point  of  the  story  is  this:  that 
our  young  people  who  are  spiritually  blind  do  not  want  to  be 
cured,  and  they  are  very  much  afraid  lest  some  good,  pious 
person  will  cause  them  to  be  converted.  It  is  singular  that 
hateful  as  sin  is,  abominable,  mean,  low,  filthy,  there  are 
people  who  become  fond  of  it,  and  will  fly  from  anything 
that  is  good  or  likely  to  bring  them  to  God.  They  fly  from 
church,  from  good  people,  from  prayer,  from  every  act  of 
mortification.  They  cling  to  sin;  they  love  sin  for  its  own 
sake,  and  for  the  pleasure  they  derive  from  it;  they  love  in- 
temperance on  account  of  the  pleasure  of  gluttony;  love  im- 
purity for  the  satisfaction  of  their  passions,  their  senses  and 
imaginations.  They  wish  to  sleep  the  sleep  of  sin,  and  will 
not  be  wakened  out  of  it.  Not  only  is  the  poor  sinner  deaf, 
but  he  is  also  dumb,  since  he  does  not  speak,  either  because 
he  cannot  or  because  he  will  not.  In  nature  dumbness  comes 
as  a  natural  consequence  of  deafness,  because  where  the  per- 
son is  deaf  and  cannot  hear  his  own  voice,  there  is  no  in- 
centive to  talk,  which  after  a  while  induces  such  absolute 
silence  that  a  deaf  person  eventually  loses  the  faculty  of 
speech,  though  he  still  has  the  power  of  speech.  In  the  spir- 
itual life  one  malady  is  the  consequence  of  the  other.  In  a 
similar  manner  David  the  prophet  seems  to  indicate  this,  for 
he  connects  both  maladies  very  closely,  saying:  ^^  But  I,  as  a 
deaf  man,  heard  not,  and  as  a  dumb  man,  not  opening  his 
mouth.'' 

It  is  certainly  a  most  unhappy  state  to  feel  the  need  of 
calling  upon  Our  Lord  for  help,  and  of  looking  for  the  pardon 
of  our  sins,  and  not  be  able  to  do  it.  Among  the  young  there 
are  many  who  do  not  pray  to  God  at  all;  days  and  months, 
yes,  years  pass,  and  not  a  thought  of  prayer;  they  never  pray 


Eleventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  209 

to  those  who  could  intercede  for  them;  they  do  not  pray  to 
St.  Joseph,  the  Blessed  Virgin,  or  to  their  patron  saints. 
They  are  mute,  too,  as  regards  confession.  Jesus  Christ  in- 
stituted confession,  and  we  must  go  and  declare  our  sins  to  a 
priest  if  we  want  to  obtain  their  pardon.  Every  Catholic 
knows  the  belief  of  the  Church  as  regards  the  Sacrament  of 
Confession;  but  with  all  this  knowledge,  how  many  there  are 
who  are  afraid  of  confession,  who  will  not  open  their  mouths 
to  the  priest.  They  know  how  easy  it  is  to  obtain  pardon  of 
their  sins  through  this  sacrament,  and  still  they  will  not  make 
use  of  it.  They  conceal  their  sins  through  shame;  it  is  true 
they  confess  their  lighter  offences,  little  faults,  little  lies, 
small  disobediences,  and  other  things  of  this  kind  as  if  they 
were  saints  with  no  great  faults,  but  anything  shameful,  blas- 
phemies and  impurities  especially,  they  pass  over.  Poor  de- 
luded sinner,  you  can  hide  your  sins  now,  but  on  the  Day  of 
Judgment  the  dreadful  hour  will  come  when,  besides  these 
sins,  your  sacrileges  will  be  laid  before  the  whole  world. 

My  dear  young  friends,  if  at  any  time  you  should  have  had 
the  misfortune  of  falling  into  a  great  sin,  let  shame  indeed 
come  over  your  soul  for  its  misery;  but  oh,  hasten  with  sor- 
row to  the  feet  of  your  confessor  and  there,  with  the  blush 
of  shame,  but  humbly  and  candidly,  lay  bare  your  conscience 
and  receive  absolution.  Do  not  think  that  in  that  horrible 
state  of  sin  anything  will  take  the  place  of  confession;  prayers, 
fasts  or  alms  will  not  obtain  remission  of  your  sins;  nothing 
will,  except  that  confession  with  true  sorrow  and  a  resolu- 
tion to  do  better. 

In  the  life  of  St.  Benedict,  we  read  of  a  certain  young  man 
of  good  birth  and  education  and  of  a  virtuous  character,  who, 
having  lost  his  parents  by  death,  resolved  to  leave  the  world. 
He  sold  all  his  goods  and  gave  the  money  to  the  poor,  and 
then  sought  a  hermitage  where  he  could  lead  a  holy  life.  He 
built  himself  a  small  chapel,  and  in  it  placed  an  altar  before 
which  he  prayed  day  and  night,  so  that  in  a  short  time  he  was 
considered  a  saint.     The  devil,  envying  the  youth  his  ad- 


210  The  Healing  of  the  Deaf -mute. 

vancement  in  virtue,  set  about  ruining  him,  and  began  by  at- 
tacking him  with  horrible  temptations.  The  youth  vanquished 
him  by  prayer,  but  one  day  he  was  a  little  careless  about  his 
prayers.  That  was  the  devil's  opportunity;  again  he  tempted 
the  youth  and  this  time  succeeded  in  exciting  in  him  impure 
desires  to  which  he  consented.  Quickly  he  cam©  to  himself, 
however:  with  groans  he  threw  himself  on  the  floor  of  his 
little  chapel  and  cried  out:  ''  0  Pelagius,  what  a  great  fall 
was  this;  from  heaven  to  hell;  a  little  while  ago  a  child  of  God, 
brother  of  Jesus  Christ,  now  a  slave  of  Satan,  a  brother  of 
devils.  By  thus  consenting  to  wickedness  you  have  lost  all 
the  merit  of  your  good  actions.  How  will  you  get  out  of  this? 
If  you  go  to  confession  your  sin  will  be  known,  and  you  will 
lose  the  esteem  of  all."  Angry  at  himself,  he  disciplined  his 
body  until  blood  came,  thinking  he  could  by  this  means  re- 
ceive pardon  from  God.  But  he  never  gained  the  peace  of 
mind  which  comes  after  a  sincere  confession.  Even  on  his 
death-bed  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  confess,  for  those  who 
close  their  mouths  on  their  sins  in  life  will  not  find  their 
tongues  in  the  hour  of  death.  So  he  died  in  his  sin  and  is 
probably  now  suffering  in  hell. 

The  prophet  David  tells  us:  "I  have  acknowledged  my  sin 
to  Thee  and  my  injustioe  I  have  not  concealed.''  And  in  this 
way  we,  too,  must  say:  ^^  Lord,  I  have  confessed  my  sin  sin- 
cerely, and  the  consolation  of  Thy  forgiveness  has  filled  my 
heart."  You  can  indeed  easily  obtain  the  pardon  of  your  sins 
if  you  confess  them  sincerely;  you  can  drag  yourselves  out  of 
hell  fire,  from  the  already  blazing  pile,  by  a  sincere  acknowl- 
edgment of  your  particular  sins.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
there  are  millions  in  heaven  just  because  they  confessed  the 
sins  which  would  have  sent  them  to  hell.  Mary  Magdalen 
must  have  been  ashamed  when  she  anointed  the  feet  and  head 
of  Our  Lord;  she  heard  the  declaration  of  the  Pharisees  that 
she  was  a  bad  woman,  but  her  public  confession  obtained  her 
forgiveness.     In   "The  Confessions   of   St.   Augustine,"   a 


Eleventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  211 

book  which  is  in  many  libraries,  we  find  that  he  committed 
many  sins. 

When  the  deaf  man  was  brought  to  Our  Lord,  He  placed 
His  fingers  in  the  man^s  ears,  and  moistened  them  with 
spittle;  then  raising  His  eyes  to  heaven.  He  said  with  a  sigh: 
'^  Be  opened! "  When  this  had  been  done  the  man's  ears  were 
opened  and  the  strings  of  his  tongue  were  loosed.  In  every 
case  at  our  Baptism,  this  very  ceremony  is  performed  by  the 
priest,  to  teach  us  that  we  should  have  our  ears  open  to  hear 
the  word  of  God,  but  to  close  them  to  wickedness. 

My  dear  young  friends,  do  we  generally  keep  our  ears  closed 
to  bad  conversation?  There  is  much  pleasure  in  a  hearty 
laugh,  or  whatever  may  excite  it,  especially  if  the  subject  be 
a  little  spicy,  as  it  is  lightly  called.  This  listening  to  evil 
communications  is  very  common  among  all  classes  of  people, 
but  especially  the  young;  in  the  factory  where  boys  and  girls 
work  near  one  another,  horrid  things  are  said  that  should 
bring  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  an  innocent  girl;  in  the  streets 
impure  jokes  are  heard  daily.  Full  grown  men  at  public 
works  guile  away  the  hours  of  hard  labor  by  filthy  talk,  and 
who  is  there  among  them  courageous  enough  to  put  a  stop  to 
such — to  call  upon  the  promoters  to  refrain  or  to  change  the 
subject?  When  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga  once  heard  an  old  man 
use  some  very  improper  words  in  the  hearing  of  young  men  of 
the  court,  the  saint  arose  and  said:  "Are  you,  an  old  man, 
not  ashamed  to  utter  such  words  before  youths?  You  ought 
to  be  better  disposed  and  teach  them  what  is  good  instead  of 
scandalizing  them.'' 

St.  Paul  says  that:  "Evil  communications  corrupt  good 
manners."  St.  Bernardine  of  Siena  was  once  walking  with  a 
companion  who  made  a  nasty  remark,  whereupon  the  saint 
turned  on  him  and  gave  him  a  smart  slap  in  the  face,  saying: 
"  Such  a  nasty  remark  can  not  be  allowed  to  pass  without 
showing  my  disapproval." 

What  remedy,  my  dear  young  people,  is  there  for  bad  con- 
versation? The  good  Jesus  once  touched  with  His  holy  hands 


212  The  Healing  of  the  Beaf-rrmte. 

the  tongue  of  a  dumb  man  and  he  was  entirely  cured.  Da 
this  by  often  going  to  communion  with  the  intention  that  the 
body  of  the  Lord  may  touch  your  tongue  and  cure  that  mem- 
ber of  all  its  wickedness  and  purify  it;  the  efficacy  of  one  com- 
munion is  indeed  great  to  that  end.  The  flesh  of  the  Immacu- 
late Lamb  will  purify  your  heart,  from  which  proceed  evil 
thoughts  and  bad  desires.  Noble  minds,  minds  that  are  not 
continually  bent  on  the  satisfaction  of  the  passions,  are  be- 
yond such  lowness.  You  may  be  sure  that  those  who  con- 
tinually talk  of  impurity,  do  so  from  the  fulness  of  the  heart, 
and  sooner  or  later  they  will  advance  from  words  to  the 
fulness  of  wickedness  and  indulge  in  that  vice. 

When  Our  Lord  had  performed  the  miracle  apart  from  the 
crowd.  He  brought  the  man  back  to  those  who  had  conducted 
him  thither,  and  told  them  not  to  tell  of  the  miracle  to  others. 
But  they  were  so  enthusiastic  over  it  that  they  went  about 
speaking  loudly  of  it  and  praising  God,  for  they  said:  "  He 
hath  done  all  things  well.  He  hath  made  both  the  deaf  to 
hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak."  Let  us  reflect  on  these  words: 
'^  He  hath  done  all  things  well."  We,  too,  should  do  all  our 
actions  well,  and  certainly  the  best  means  to  progress  in  virtue 
is  day  by  day  to  perform  in  a  commendable  manner  all  the 
duties  of  our  station  in  life.  When  we  pray  or  when  we  medi- 
tate let  us  do  it  well;  let  us  be  recollected  before  God.  Pray 
with  devotion,  pour  out  our  hearts  in  His  presence,  expose  our 
necessities  to  Him  and  ask  His  help.  Let  us  assist  at  Mass 
with  the  sentiments  we  would  have  had  were  we  standing 
beneath  the  cross  on  Calvary,  and  looking  at  the  crucifixion 
and  the  death  of  Our  Lord. 

When  we  say  the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  if  we  prac- 
tice any  devotion  in  her  honor,  let  us  approach  the  throne  of 
this  good  Mother  as  her  beloved  children  should  approach 
her — give  ourselves  up  to  her  with  unbounded  confidence. 
When  we  go  to  confession  let  us  remember  that  we  are  about 
to  cleanse  our  souls  in  the  blood  of  Christ;  and  let  us  make 
our  confession  with  profound  humility,  with  clearness,  sincer- 


Twelfth  Simday  after  Pentecost,  213 

ity  and  interior  compunction.  Let  us  draw  great  fruit  from  it 
for  the  correction  of  our  life.  When  we  go  to  communion 
what  an  effort  should  we  make  to  dispose  ourselves  properly, 
with  love,  for  Jesus  unites  our  soul  with  His,  our  heart  with 
His.  Let  us  adore  Him,  praise  Him;  ask  for  graces  for  our- 
selves, for  our  parents,  relatives  and  superiors,  for  the  souls 
in  purgatory.  When  we  go  to  our  studies,  or  to  our  work, 
let  us  offer  our  labors  to  God.  In  the  morning  let  us  beg  of 
Him  to  bless  all  the  actions  of  the  day,  as  St.  Paul  tells  us: 
'^  Whether  you  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  else  you  do,  do  all 
to  the  glory  of  God.^'  In  this  way  we  shall  advance  in  virtue 
and  acquire  great  treasures  for  heaven,  and  with  good  cause 
may  it  also  be  said  of  us:  "'  He  hath  done  all  things  well/' 
and  God  certainly  will  reward  us  for  it,  for  let  us  remember 
what  a  welcome  the  servant  received  when  he  came  back  to 
the  Master:  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  because 
thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things  I  will  place  thee 
over  many  things."  !N"ever  let  us  act  from  other  motives 
than  the  love  and  glory  of  God;  not  from  vaia  glory,  because 
that  is  pride,  nor  for  our  own  pleasure,  because  that  is  selfish- 
ness and  God  does  not  reward  in  heaven  such  actions,  though 
they  may  be  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  and  monuments 
may  be  erected  to  commemorate  them. 
"  Vainglory  is  a  real  pest,"  says  St.  Thomas  k  Kempis. 

TWELFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  x.  23-37.  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  Ms  disciples: 
Blessed  are  the  eyes  that  see  the  things  which  you  see.  For  I  say 
to  you  that  many  prophets  and  kings  have  desired  to  see  the  things 
that  you  see,  and  have  not  seen  them;  and  to  hear  the  things  that 
you  hear,  and  have  not  heard  them.  And  behold  a  certain  lawyer 
stood  up,  tempting  him,  saying:  Master,  what  must  I  do  to  possess 
eternal  life?  But  he  said  to  him:  What  is  written  in  the  law?  how 
readest  thou?  He  answering,  said:  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  thy  whole  heart,  and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  all 
thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind;  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 
And  lie  said  to  him:    Thou  hast  answered  right:    this  do,  and  thou 


214  The  Good  8amarita/n, 

shalt  live.  But  he,  willing  to  justify  himself,  said  to  Jesus:  And 
who  is  my  neighbor?  And  Jesus  answering,  said:  A  certain  man 
went  down  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  and  fell  among  robbers,  who 
also  stripped  him:  and,  having  wounded  him,  went  away  leaving 
him  half  dead.  And  it  chanced  that  a  certain  priest  went  down  the 
same  way:  and  seeing  him,  passed  by.  In  like  manner  also  a  levite, 
when  he  was  near  the  place  and  saw  him,  passed  by.  But  a  certain 
Samaritan  being  on  his  journey  came  near  him:  and  seeing  him, 
was  moved  with  compassion.  And  going  up  to  him,  bound  up  his 
wounds,  pouring  in  oil  and  wine:  and  setting  him  upon  his  own 
beast,  brought  him  to  an  inn,  and  took  care  of  him.  And  the  next 
day  he  took  out  two  pence,  and  gave  it  to  the  host,  and  said:  Take 
care  of  him:  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  spend  over  and  above,  I  at 
my  return  will  repay  thee.  Which  of  these  three  in  thy  opinion  was 
neighbor  to  him  that  fell  among  the  robbers?  But  he  said:  He  that 
showed  mercy  to  him.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Go  and  do  thou  in 
like  manner. 

THE   GOOD  SAMARITAN. 

The  Gospel  of  this  day  is  full  of  instruction,  and  could  be 
divided  into  many  and  interesting  subjects,  for  it  treats  of 
very  important  affairs. 

Our  Lord  called  those  blessed  who  had  seen  the  great  events 
of  His  day:  His  birth,  His  preaching.  His  miracles.  Those 
were  really  beautiful  days  which  all  the  religious  world,  from 
the  time  of  Adam  and  Eve,  had  expected  and  were  waiting 
for;  they  sighed  for  them,  prepared  themselves  for  them,  and 
day  after  day  they  expected  the  realization  of  the  promises  of 
God.  The  prophets  of  old  spoke  of  those  days,  and  in  some 
cases  described  very  vividly  and  exactly  the  Messias.  How 
their  imagination  must  have  been  stirred  to  the  sublimest 
pitch  when  they  thought  of  the  loving  closeness  of  God  to 
man,  when  the  Son  of  God  should  come  down  from  heaven! 
We  envy  the  apostles  and  disciples  of  Christ.  Although  we 
have  the  same  privileges  they  had,  we  would  love  to  have 
seen  the  things  which  they  saw  and  heard  the  things  which 
they  heard.  But  we,  ourselves,  are  to  be  envied,  because  we 
have  so  many  privileges  which  others  do  not  enjoy.   We  are 


Twelfth  BimdoAj  after  Pentecost,  215 

bom  of  Catholic  parents,  brought  up  with  care  in  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  with  priests  enough  to  teach  us,  confessors  in 
plenty  to  guide  us  in  the  path  of  virtue:  we  cannot  do  other- 
wise than  be  good  unless  we  are  very  careless. 

If  we  have  not  the  happiness  of  seeing  Jesus  walking  about 
and  holding  converse  with  the  crowd,  have  we  not  Jesus  with 
us  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament?  We  can  walk  and  hold  com- 
munion with  Him  every  time  we  receive  holy  communion. 
Therefore  we  might  be  called  blessed.  Do  we,  however,  make 
use  of  these  occasions?  Are  we  grateful  for  these  advan- 
tages? Do  we  ever  return  thanks  for  them?  Do  we  visit  Our 
Lord  in  His  church  where  He  is  really  present  in  the  Blessed 
Eucharist?  You  love  Jesus,  you  like  to  be  in  His  company. 
Why  are  you  not  more  frequently  in  church,  especially  when 
public  honor  is  given  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament?  Are  you 
among  the  first  that  press  around  His  altar  to  do  Him 
homage?  God  ha«  been  so  good  to  us  that  we  do  not  appreci- 
ate this  great  gift  of  faith.  We  lose  our  faith  from  the  fact 
of  the  too  great  generosity  of  God.  Hence  it  is  that  many  do 
not  believe  that  Christ  is  the  light  of  the  world.  The  wisdom 
of  God  is  a  stumbling-block  to  many. 

Let  us  return  to  the  consideration  of  the  words  of  the  Gos- 
pel: "  A  certain  lawyer  stood  up  tempting  Him,  and  saying, 
Master,  what  must  I  do  to  possess  eternal  life?''  My  dear 
young  friends,  do  you  ever  ask  yourselves  this  question?  Did 
you  ever  ask  any  one  to  direct  you  in  this  important  affair  "to 
possess  eternal  life  "  ?  It  is  the  great  aim  of  our  life  to  get  the 
possession  of  heaven.  Has  your  spiritual  director,  your  con- 
fessor, ever  been  consulted  on  the  means  of  getting  to 
heaven?  I  am  afraid  you  have  not  consulted  him,  that  you 
think  it  too  irksome  to  speak  of  such  things  to  anybody,  that 
no  one  has  a  right  to  direct  you  in  the  way  you  should  walk. 
I  am  sure  that  when  your  superiors  wish  to  give  you  advice 
and  direction,  you  become  impudent  and  turn  saucily  upon 
them.  Your  confessor  wants  you  to  give  up  drink,  which  you 
are  beginning  to  taste  and  to  like;  what  a  struggle  there  is  for 


216  The  Good  Samaritan. 

your  self-indulgence;  how  yon  insist  on  the  most  favorable 
terms!  Your  confessor  advises  you  to  give  up  certain  com- 
pany; those  who  make  up  that  company  will  tell  you  you  are 
a  fool  to  listen  to  such  advice,  and  may  thus  make  his  advice 
useless.  The  young  are  apt  to  be  headstrong,  and  to  be 
inclined  to  the  gratification  of  their  passions  and  to  carrying 
out  their  desires.  What  must  you  do  to  keep  yourselves  good? 
What  must  you  do  to  possess  eternal  life? 

To  this  serious  question  Our  Lord  gives  the  following 
answer,  "What  is  written  in  the  law?  how  readest  thou?" 
The  man  answered,  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
thy  whole  heart,  and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
strength  and  with  all  thy  mind."  Our  Lord  said,  "  Thou  hast 
answered  right;  this  do,  and  thou  shalt  live."  Here  is  a  very 
plain  declaration  of  what  we  must  do,  my  dear  young  friends, 
to  possess  eternal  life:  let  me  repeat  it  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart,  and  with  thy  whole 
soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength  and  with  all  thy  mind."  What 
a  grand  precept  this  is!  Is  God  loved  in  this  way  by  all  our 
young  people?  Are  there  not  many  who  love  their  passions 
more?  They  love  games,  their  companions,  the  miserable 
creatures  of  this  world  more;  they  do  not  love  God,  they  live 
without  ever  thinking  of  God.  Miserable  people  are  they,  who 
by  their  works  show  they  know  not  God,  much  less  love  Him. 

St.  Catherine  of  Genoa  used  to  say,  "  What  a  horrible  mis- 
fortune it  is  not  to  love  God!  0  hell  of  hells,  to  be  without 
the  love  of  God!"  To  love  God  we  must  observe  His  holy 
law — not  only  one  law,  but  all  His  laws;  never  offend  Him, 
and  hate  sin.  You  must  do  His  holy  will.  But  to  love  God, 
you  must  know  Him.  Who  is  God?  He  is  your  Creator,  who 
has  loved  you  from  all  eternity;  before  you  were  brought  into 
the  world  He  knew  you,  and  loved  you;  He  had  your  ideal  in 
His  omnipotent  mind,  and  then  brought  you  out  of  nothing- 
ness by  creation. 

He  is  therefore  your  Lord  and  Master;  were  it  not  for  Him, 
you  would  not  exist.     For  you.  He  created  this  beautiful 


Twelfth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  217 

world,  with  all  that  is  in  it,  that  renders  it  so  charming — 
hills,  woods,  green  fields,  rivers  and  oceans.  For  you  He 
created  the  universe,  and  set  it  around  this  world  and  be- 
spangled it  with  stars.  All  is  for  your  service  and  all  is  main- 
tained for  you.  Does  not  a  God  of  such  infinite  goodness 
merit  all  your  love? 

Not  only  is  God  our  Creator,  He  is  also  our  most  loving  Ee- 
deemer,  who  came  from  heaven  for  our  love,  who  has  snatched 
us  from  the  jaws  of  hell,  who  has  brought  the  light  of  truth 
to  us,  who  sat  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death;  who 
instituted  the  Sacraments,  who  shed  His  sacred  blood  for  us, 
who  opened  for  us  the  gates  of  paradise,  and  who  now  awaits 
us  there  to  become  sharers  in  His  eternal  glories.  Does  not 
so  loving  a  Redeemer  merit  our  love?  Should  you  not  from 
your  tenderest  years  begin  to  love  and  serve  so  good  a  Master? 
Love  Him,  then,  with  your  whole  soul  and  with  all  your 
strength.  Does  not  the  whole  world  which  He  created  show 
His  goodness  and  call  on  you  to  love  Him?  St.  Philip  Neri 
says,  "  Lord,  you  being  so  worthy  of  my  love,  so  dear,  so  good, 
why  did  you  give  me  but  one  heart  to  love  you,  and  a  heart 
that  is  so  small?" 

The  lawyer  continued  to  question  Our  Lord,  ^^And  who 
is  my  neighbor?  "  Our  Lord  in  answer  told  of  an  incident 
which  happened  in  His  day.  A  poor  man  fell  among  robbers 
and  was  nearly  killed.  Several  people  passed  by,  among  them 
a  Levite  and  a  priest,  but  they  went  on,  without  manifesting 
any  signs  of  sympathy.  But  there  came  by  a  good  Samaritan, 
who  placed  the  poor  man  on  his  beast  and  took  him  to  a 
place  of  safety,  where  he  could  be  cared  for.  Which  among 
these,  asked  Our  Saviour,  acted  in  a  charitable  way?  The 
doctor  of  the  law  answered.  He,  of  course,  who  showed 
mercy.  "  Go,"  said  Our  Lord,  "  and  do  thou  in  like  manner." 
There  are  several  important  points  to  be  discussed  in  this 
story,  especially  the  one  of  the  love  which  we  should  show 
our  neighbor:  not  only  in  sentiment,  but  by  actual  works  of 
mercy.    Another  point  is  that  this  poor  man  is  another  figure 


218  The  Good  Sa/maAtan, 

of  sinful  mankind.  It  is  certain  that  the  case  is  a  counterpart 
of  the  spiritual  life;  the  man  that  fell  among  the  robbers,  who 
left  him  half  dead  on  the  roadside,  is  the  sinner.  When  you 
fall  into  sin,  ah,  then  you  may  be  sure  you  have  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  the  devil,  who  has  come  upon  you  like  a  robber. 
And  to  what  a  condition  has  he  reduced  you!  He  has  robbed 
you  of  your  precious  garment  of  innocence,  which  made  you 
so  beautiful  in  the  sight  of  God;  he  has  robbed  you  of  all  the 
treasures  you  have  gathered  in  your  life  and  which  you  were 
carrying  with  you  to  heaven.  But  this  is  not  all:  look  at  the 
poor  soul  full  of  wounds,  with  barely  a  little  faith  left  in  her, 
the  life  of  charity  nearly  extinct,  there  she  lies  stretched  by 
the  roadside,  with  no  one  to  help  her. 

Can  you  imagine  a  condition  more  helpless  and  unfortu- 
nate than  this?  Not  able  to  help  yourself  and  dying  for  want 
of  care!  This  dreadful  mishap  comes  to  many  a  youth;  he 
goes  along  the  road  happy,  full  of  vigor,  but  sin  has  struck 
him  down;  his  soul  is  nearly  dead,  and  he  cannot  move;  he  is 
carried  along  or  dragged  to  the  gates  of  hell,  where  all  at 
once  he  awakes  with  the  wails  of  the  damned  sounding  in  his 
ears.  Be  on  your  guard,  my  good  friends,  so  as  not  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  those  robbers,  who  will  so  despoil  you  that 
not  a  vestige  of  your  old  goodness  will  remain.  Pray  now 
that  if  it  happen  that  sin  should  kill  your  soul,  that  Jesus, 
the  good  Samaritan,  may  look  for  you,  pick  you  up  kindly, 
place  you  on  His  beast  of  burden,  and  carry  you  to  an  inn, 
where  you  may  recover  under  His  loving  care.  Jesus  is  al- 
ways waiting  for  such  opportunities  of  succoring  poor  fallen 
humanity. 


Thirteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  219 


THIRTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  xvii.  11-19.  At  that  time,  as  Jesus  was  going  to 
Jerusalem,  he  passed  through  the  midst  of  Samaria  in  Galilee.  And 
as  he  entered  into  a  certain  town,  there  met  him  ten  men  that  were 
lepers,  who  stood  afar  off:  and  lifted  up  their  voice,  saying:  Jesus, 
master,  have  mercy  on  us.  Whom  when  he  saw,  he  said:  Go,  show 
yourselves  to  the  priests.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  went,  they 
were  made  clean.  And  one  of  them,  when  he  saw  that  he  was  made 
clean,  went  back,  with  a  loud  voice  glorifying  God,  and  he  fell  on 
his  face,  before  his  feet,  giving  thanks;  and  this  was  a  Samaritan. 
And  Jesus  answering,  said:  Were  not  ten  made  clean?  and  where 
are  the  nine?  There  is  no  one  found  to  return  and  give  glory  to 
God,  but  this  stranger.  And  he  said  to  him:  Arise,  go  thy  way:  for 
thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. 

THE  CURE  OF  THE  TEN  LEPERS. 

The  poor  miserable  sinner  is  represented  in  these  lepers. 
The  leper's  body  is  not  more  horrid  than  is  the  condition  of 
the  sinner's  soul.  Leprosy  is  a  very  loathsome  disease;  it 
attacks  different  parts  of  the  body,  until  they  fall  off  from 
rottenness.  It  is  an  incurable  disease  and  is  propagated  by 
contact.  All  nations,  even  uncivilized  ones,  have  made  laws 
against  lepers.  They  are  not  allowed  to  mingle  with  the  rest 
of  humanity,  they  are  excluded  from  cities  and  villages,  and 
have  to  keep  to  themselves,  in  unfrequented  places;  they  are 
allowed  to  come  close  to  villages  only  to  obtain  food  from 
the  kindness  of  relatives,  but  they  cannot  live  with  them  in 
their  houses;  in  short,  they  have  to  live  like  the  beasts  of  the 
field  and  shelter  themselves  as  best  they  can. 

Sin  is  like  leprosy,  that  deforms  the  soul  and  deprives  her 
of  the  grace  and  friendship  of  God.  A  soul  adorned  with  the 
favors  of  God  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  God's  creations, 
little  inferior  to  the  angels.  Such  a  beautiful  soul  is  dear  to 
God,  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  to  the  angels  and  to  all  the 
saints;  this  soul  possesses  such  excellence  that  the  inhabitants 


220  The  Cv/re  of  the  Ten  Lexers. 

of  heaven  desire  her  company  for  their  enjoyment  and  the 
glory  of  God.  No  tongue  can  describe  the  greatness  of  the 
love  of  Jesus  for  a  soul  that  is  in  grace.  But  when  the  soul 
is  in  a  state  of  sin  she  becomes  an  object  of  the  greatest  ab- 
horrence to  almighty  God.  If  we  could  only  see  the  spiritual 
life  as  it  really  is,  and  realize  what  a  horrible  being  the  soul 
is  which  is  covered  with  the  rottenness  of  sin,  we  should  fear 
to  remain  in  that  state. 

God  revealed  to  St.  Catherine  of  Genoa  the  filthiness  of  sin, 
and  she  was  so  struck  by  it  that  she  was  at  the  point  of  death 
from  the  shock.  Paul  the  Simple  was  accustomed  to  sit  at 
the  gates  of  a  church  to  invite  in  the  passers-by,  good  and  bad. 
One  day  he  saw  a  sinner  in  an  abject  condition  coming  along, 
accompanied  by  two  devils;  behind  him  followed  his  guardian 
angel  full  of  shame  and  looking  more  like  a  vanquished  pris- 
oner than  an  angel  of  God.  We  all  have  pity  when  we  see 
a  convict  going  along,  handcuffed,  the  guard  standing  over 
him  with  a  loaded  gun,  and  treating  him  with  harshness.  But 
we  have  more  pity  for  such  a  one  when  we  know  that  he  is 
well  educated,  of  good  family,  and  that  his  condition  forces 
him  to  lead  such  a  life.  Sin  reduces  us  to  the  same  condition 
of  slavery,  and  binds  us  hands  and  feet  to  the  devil,  who  is 
our  attendant,  who  gives  his  commands  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  frighten  us  into  obedience.  0,  if  Christians  would  think 
what  a  great  evil  sin  is,  they  would  not  commit  it  so  easily. 
The  saints,  the  great  friends  of  God,  had  a  just  appreciation 
of  what  sin  is;  they  trembled  at  the  mention  of  sin;  they 
would  allow  themselves  to  be  cut  into  pieces  rather 
than  commit  one.  St.  Frances  of  Rome  when  passing  near 
a  house  where  she  knew  sins  were  committed  fainted,  and 
afterwards  said,  "  That  is  a  house  of  ingratitude  to  God." 
St.  Stanislaus,  on  hearing  bad  words  at  a  dinner,  fainted  be- 
cause he  was  so  horrified.  St.  Anselm  says,  "  If  on  the  one 
side  hell  was  open  before  me,  and  sin  came  from  the  opposite 
direction,  I  would  rather  throw  myself  into  the  flames  of  hell 
than  go  to  meet  sin."     My  dear  young  people,  should  you 


Thirteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  221 

ever  be  in  sin,  go  at  once  and  show  yourself  to  the  priest,  and 
get  rid  of  that  leprosy  by  tears  of  compunction. 

Why  did  Our  Lord  send  the  ten  lepers  to  the  priest  un- 
cured,  while  He  could  have  cured  them  at  once?  Evidently 
Our  Lord  had  a  hidden  meaning  in  His  action.  He  sent  them 
to  the  priest  to  be  inspected  and  to  be  declared  free  from 
leprosy,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses.  It  signified  to  the 
lepers  that  the  authority  of  the  Church  must  be  maintained, 
and  to  us  that  self-accusation  to  the  priests  appointed  by 
authority  is  necessary.  You,  also,  my  young  friends,  when 
you  find  yourselves  in  sin,  show  yourselves  to  the  priest  at  the 
tribunal  of  penance,  for  the  priest  has  authority  from  Jesus 
to  loose  and  to  bind  the  sins  of  the  penitent.  Do  not  delay  a  long 
time,  for  if,  through  negligence,  you  hesitate  to  confess,  you 
will  little  by  little  lose  the  horror  you  have  felt  at  the  serious- 
ness of  your  condition,  and  you  will  put  aff  your  confession 
longer  and  longer, until  you  would  be  content  to  wait  for  years, 
as  it  often  happens;  for  while  you  see  that  you  prosper,  that  you 
enjoy  health,  that  you  continue  to  have  friends  and  good  com- 
panions, and  that  God  shows  no  signs  of  present  anger,  you 
will  think  that  the  matter  of  sin  has  been  much  exaggerated, 
and  you  will  continue  to  indulge  in  it.  ^'  To  sin  is  human,*' 
said  a  holy  Father,  "  but  to  remain  in  sin,  and  to  persevere  in 
it,  is  diabolical." 

Leprosy  is  a  malady  that  goes  on  increasing  from  day  to 
day;  it  attacks  the  different  members  of  the  body  suc- 
cessively, until  the  extremities  are  eaten  away,  then  it  strikes 
a  vital  point  and  the  patient  dies.  Sin  acts  in  the  same  way, 
especially  the  sin  of  impurity.  We  find  many  young  people 
who  are  sunk  so  deeply  in  the  meshes  of  this  vice  that  it  looks 
almost  impossible  to  cure  their  poor  souls  of  the  wounds 
already  inflicted;  so  these  poor  sinners  excuse  themselves 
to  the  confessor,  maintaining  that  they  cannot  overcome  their 
vice.  According  to  human  means,  without  the  grace  of  God 
it  would  be  impossible.  The  blind  demands  of  our  passions 
on  us  are  very  imperative.     If  you  have  a  bodily  sickness. 


222  Tlie  Cure  of  the  Ten  Lexers, 

what  do  you  not  try  in  order  to  find  a  cure?  You  remain  at 
home,  stay  in  bed,  call  a  doctor,  take  disagreeable  medicines, 
and  do  not  hesitate  to  spend  any  amount  of  money.  What 
should  we  not  do  for  the  soul?  We  think  little  of  the  soul 
that  has  to  live  for  all  eternity;  of  that  soul  which,  when 
once  lost,  is  lost  forever,  and  for  which  the  Son  of  God  has 
shed  His  precious  blood.  In  the  words  of  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures, I  beg  of  you,  "  take  care  of  your  soul,"  and  never  let 
the  leprosy  of  sin  infect  it.  I  read  of  a  youth  in  the  olden 
time  who  would  rather  lose  all  his  possessions  than  renounce 
his  faith;  he  said  that  his  salvation  was  most  precious  to  him. 
A  worldling  said  to  him,  "Ah,  what  do  you  know  of  your  soul? 
you  are  too  young  to  entertain  such  thoughts,"  but  the  child 
answered,  "  Small  as  I  am,  I  know  that  my  soul  is  as  precious 
as  that  of  a  wise  philosopher;  my  soul  can  go  to  heaven  or 
hell,  and  I  am  determined  to  lose  all  rather  than  lose  my 
soul." 

The  Gospel  gives  us  also  a  lesson  in  gratitude  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  ten  lepers;  only  one  of  these  came  back  to  Our 
Lord,  and  he  was  a  Samaritan,  one  who  was  supposed  to  be- 
long to  a  false  religion;  he  returned  and  gave  thanks  to  God 
for  his  cure;  the  other  nine  went  home.  A  great  many  of  us 
Christians  never  feel  the  sentiment  of  gratitude.  When  God 
has  freed  us  from  the  burden  of  our  sins,  and  has  healed  our 
souls,  we  fall  back  into  our  old  ways;  hardly  have  we  come 
out  of  the  confessional,  having  hurriedly  said  our  prayers, 
having  perhaps  received  communion,  before  we  are  off  to  our 
sports  and  plays  without  an  after-thought  of  thanksgiving  to 
almighty  God.  When  we  have  received  a  gift  from  God  we 
ought  at  least  to  have  the  politeness  to  say,  "  I  thank  you." 
Hence,  after  confession  and  communion  we  ought  to  stay  a 
while  on  our  knees  and  prolong  the  sentiment  of  gratitude 
that  these  sacred  moments  should  produce  in  our  heart. 
This,  then,  you  ought  to  do:  when  God  has  pardoned  your 
sins  in  confession,  thank  Him  for  that  great  act  of  kindness, 
and  understand  fully  that  He  loves  you  and  wants  to  bring 


Fourteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  223 

you  to  heaven.  Remember  that  you  ought,  at  least,  to  show 
your  gratitude  for  His  goodness  to  you,  and  should  never  fail 
to  do  so. 


FOURTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  vi.  24-33.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
"No  man  can  serve  two  masters:  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and 
love  the  other:  or  he  will  sustain  the  one,  and  despise  the  other. 
You  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon.  Therefore  I  say  to  you,  be  not 
solicitous  for  your  life,  what  you  shall  eat,  nor  for  your  body  what 
you  shall  put  on.  Is  not  the  life  more  than  the  meat,  and  the  body 
more  than  the  raiment?  Behold  the  birds  of  the  air,  for  they  neither 
sow,  nor  do  they  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns:  and  your  heavenly 
Father  feedeth  them.  Are  not  you  of  much  more  value  than  they? 
And  which  of  you  by  taking  thought  can  add  to  his  stature  one 
cubit?  And  for  raiment  why  are  you  solicitous?  Consider  the  lilies 
of  the  field  how  they  grow:  they  labor  not,  neither  do  they  spin. 
But  I  say  to  you,  that  not  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  arrayed 
as  one  of  these.  And  if  the  grass  of  the  field,  which  is  to-day,  and 
to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,  God  doth  so  clothe:  how  much 
more  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith?  Be  not  solicitous  therefore,  saying: 
What  shall  we  eat,  or  what  shall  we  drink,  or  wherewith  shall  we  be 
clothed?  For  after  all  these  things  do  the  heathens  seek.  For  your 
Father  knoweth  that  you  have  need  of  all  these  things.  Seek  ye 
therefore  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  justice:  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you. 

•      NO  MAN  CAN  SERVE  TWO  MASTERS. — GOD  AND  MAMMON. 

No  man  can  serve  two  masters,  especially  if  they  give  con- 
trary orders,  and  are  enemies,  for  we  love  the  one  and  hate 
the  other.  In  pagan  times  men  used  to  adore  Mammon  as 
the  god  of  riches  in  order  that  he  would  procure  money  for 
his  worshippers.  Mammon  and  God  are  enemies  and  are 
opposed  to  each  other,  tlieref ore  they  cannot  be  served  by  the 
same  person  at  the  same  time.  You  are,  then,  my  dear  young 
friends,  this  day  to  choose  which  of  these  two  masters  you 
will  love  and  obey.    The  masters  that  lay  claim  to  your  souls 


224  No  Mem  cam  Serve  Two  Masters. 

are  God  and  the  devil.  The  world  and  the  devil  wish  you  to 
serve^  them!  THe^devil  seeks  by  promises  of  a  happy,  con- 
tented life,  to  gain  yon  to  his  side.  Let  me  at  the  very  outset 
tell  you  that  these  promises  are  false;  while  they  appear  to  be 
good  gifts  they  are  in  reality  misfortunes.  When  the  devil 
in  paradise  tempted  Adam  and  Eve  to  eat  the  forbidden  fruit 
he  held  out  great  inducements  to  them.  "  You  shall  be  as 
gods/^  he  said.  But  none  of  that  happiness'^^was  ever  real- 
ized; our  first  parents  were  cursed  by  almighty  God,  the  sign 
of  condemnation  was  set  upon  their  foreheads,  they  were 
driven  out  of  paradise  and  had  to  gain  their  bread  by  the 
sweat  of  their  brows.  Still  the  world  will  say,  "  Come,  let  us 
enjoy  all  the  good  things  of  this  earth;  crown  yourselves 
with  roses  and  enjoy  the  happiness  and  joyousness  of  your 
youth;  I  will  make  you  contented  and  give  you  honors  and 
riches.'^  Great  and  brilliant  are  the  promises  held  out  to 
us  by  the  world,  and  who  knows  but  we  will  yield  to  them? 
In  that  event  our  case  will  be  like  that  of  the  ^odi^l  son, 
who  put  himself  under  the  mastership  of  the  world'  and^We^ 
devil;  away  from  his  father's  house  he  thought  he  could  enjoy 
himself  without  interruption,  but  there  came  a  time  when, 
despised  by  all,  he  became  a  swineherd,  poor,  without  cloth- 
ing, and  suffering  from  hunger,  with  not  even  the  husks  that 
were  fed  to  the  swine  to  eat. 

Supposing  that  for  some  years  you  should  enjoy  life  to  its 
full  extent,  lawlessly  and  without  restraint,  what  would  your 
feelings  be  at  the  hour  of  death  ?  You  would  then  experience 
the  most  bitter  remorse.  A  great  man  when  on  his  death-bed 
had  his  young  son  brought  to  him.  "  My  son,"  he  said,  "  do 
j;  not  believe  in  the  promises  of  the  world  as  I  have  believed; 
let  me  impress  two  things  on  your  mind  that  are  absolutely 
true:  one  is,  that  you  will  have  but  little  pleasure  in  this 
world,  and  the  second,  that  you  will  have  much  sorrow  if  you 
have  enjoyed  those  pleasures  unlawfully.''  If  the  devil  is 
your  master  in  life  he  will  certainly  be  your  master  in  eter- 
nity; he  will  be  your  companion,  and  not  a  peaceful  one,  or 


Fourteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  225 

one  that  you  will  enjoy,  but  he  will  torment  you  in  every 
way  that  his  cruel  ingenuity  can  suggest.  Looking  at  this 
master  in  this  light,  do  you  really  want  to  serve  him?  And 
yet  you  do  serve  him  when  you  imitate  him  in  his  wickedness. 

Your  other  and  your  real  master  is  God.  He,  too ,  is 
anxious  that  you  should  serve  Him.  He  is  yearning  after 
your  soul.  He  is  a  beggar  of  souls.  How  different  is  He  from 
that  miserable  creature,  the  devil!  how  good  and  loving  God 
isl  It  is  true  He  places  a  burden  on  you,  but  it  is  sweet  and 
light.  He  desires  that  you  take  the  cross  on  your  shoulders 
and  follow  Him,  and  not  only  in  the  end,  but  even  during 
your  labors  and  trials,  you  will  possess  peace  and  consolation. 
You  will  understand  that  the  serving  of  God  is  a  calling  so 
high  'and  so  noble  that  it  is  equal  to  a  royal  dignity.  And 
when  this  life  is  at  an  end  He  will  share  with  you  His  own 
glory  in  heaven. 

What  does  it  mean  to  have  God  not  only  on  earth  by  grace, 
but  to  possess  Him  in  heaven  in  all  His  glory?  We  cannot 
realize  this  while  we  are  in  the  flesh;  we  see  it  only  as  it  were 
in  a  glass.  In  heaven  all  your  faculties  will  be  full  of  life, 
your  memory  will  be  a  life  of  universal  recollection  of  the 
past;  your  intellect  will  understand  the  mystery  of  God's 
infinite  goodness;  your  eyes  will  see  heavenly  and  agreeable 
sights;  your  ears  hear  the  most  beautiful  music.  Is  it  not, 
then,  really  sad  that  we  have  to  prove  the  necessity  of  the 
love  of  God,  in  order  to  induce  us  to  do  some-good;  is  it  not 
awful  that  we  should  leave  God  and  cling  to  that  impious 
tyrant,  Satan?  There  are  so  many  people  in  this  world  who 
give  Tip  the  service  of  God  to  associate  with  the  prince  of 
darkness,  people  who  revel  in  wickedness  and  hate  virtue. 
You  ruthlessly  drive  God  out  of  your  soul  when  you  have  a 
bad  thought,  or  when  you  do  a  wicked  action,  and  you  set  the 
devil  up  in  your  heart  as  its  master  and  dictator.  Say  with 
determination  to  the  devil,  "  Get  behind  me,  Satan;  never 
will  I  have  anything  to  do  with  you;"  but  to  God  cry  out, 
"  Thou  art  the  God  of  my  heart  and  my  portion  for  aU  eter- 


226  No  Man  cam,  Serve  Two  Masters. 

nity."  Our  divine  Eedeemer,  after  having  told  us  that  no 
one  can  serve  two  masters,  that  God  must  be  served  alone, 
gives  us  some  clear  and  beautiful  instructions  which  need  no 
explanation.  He  says,  "I  say  to  you,  be  not  solicitous  for 
your  life,  what  you  shall  eat,  nor  for  your  body,  what  you  shall 
put  on/'  God  provides  with  munificence  for  the  birds  of  the 
air,  gives  them  what  they  need  and  keeps  them  alive.  How 
beautifully  He  decks  the  field  with  flowers — then  how  much 
more  will  He  provide  for  us!  Do  not  always  think  of  earthly 
advantages,  for  the  Gentiles,  the  pagans,  and  the  worldlings 
look  for  these  things.  Still,  notwithstanding  all  these  prom- 
ises of  a  good  father,  what  anxiety  do  we  not  feel  about  the 
comforts  of  life,  our  health;  what  fear  we  have  of  death.  This 
is  to  a  certain  extent  a  want  of  faith  and  trust.  "  God,  who 
giveth  to  beasts  their  food,  and  to  the  young  ravens  that  call 
upon  Him,''  will  not  desert  us,  though  sometimes  the  pros- 
pect looks  dark  and  discouraging.  Ah,  I  hear  somebody  say, 
God  does  not  provide  for  me;  I  work  for  myself;  but  in  things 
over  which  I  have  no  power,  in  sickness  or  poverty,  where  is 
His  arm?  Let  this  be  my  answer:  If  you  would  remove 
all  misery  and  poverty  from  this  world,  first  remove  sin,  and 
there  will  not  be  so  much  suffering.  Who  are  those  that  are 
poor?  They  are  the  lazy  loafers  who  do  nothing,  the  fre- 
quenters of  drinking-places,  who  earn  no  money  or  spend 
their  earnings  in  the  saloon.  Perhaps  God  strikes  them  with 
poverty  to  show  them  that  they  ought  to  act  differently.  The 
crimes  of  the  human  race  are  often  the  cause  of  its  sufferings. 
We  read  in  Leviticus  the  threats  that  God  made  to  the  people 
of  Israel,  unless  they  remained  faithful  to  Him:  "I  will 
quickly  visit  you  with  poverty  and  burning  heat,  which  shall 
waste  your  eyes  and  consume  your  lives;  you  shall  sow  your 
seed  in  vain,  which  shall  be  devoured  by  your  enemies." 
"  Trust  in  the  Lord  and  dwell  in  the  land,  and  thou  shalt  be 
fed  with  its  riches."  If  you  have  this  confidence  in  God,  He 
will  be  specially  kind  to  you,  and  you  shall  want  for  nothing. 
The  saints  have  always  had  this  trust  in  God,  and  even  when 


Fifteenth  Sundcuy  after  Pentecost.  22T 

they  gave  away  all  they  had,  did  they  starve,  or  were  they  in 
want?  They  put  their  trust  in  Providence  and  were  never 
disappointed.  Let  your  greatest  and  first  solicitude  be  to 
look  for  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  justice,  and  all  things 
else  will  be  given  you  in  due  time. 

Therefore  look  first  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  But,  my 
dear  young  people,  do  we  do  this?  Oh,  there  are  so  many 
who  have  their  eyes  constantly  fixed  on  the  earth  and  never 
raise  them  from  it  to  look  up  to  heaven.  They  think  of 
nothing  but  this  life,  as  if  they  were  to  remain  here  forever; 
as  if  the  day  would  never  come  when  they  would  be  called 
out  of  the  world;  they  are  entirely  occupied  with  the  enjoy- 
ment of  life;  they  have  nothing  before  them  but  the  goods 
and  honors  of  this  world.  And  thus  they  renounce  their 
right  to  heaven;  they  seek  not  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His 
justice.  Poor,  deluded  beings!  They  are  attracted  by  the 
false  promises  of  the  devil,  which  will  never  be  realized,  for 
these  promises  are  further  and  further  from  fulfillment  and 
the  sinners  pass  their  lives  in  a  vain  hope.  My  dear  young 
people,  be  not  deceived  nor  follow  the  example  of  the  wicked; 
have  your  eyes  fixed  on  God  in  all  your  work.  "J  am  thy 
^protector  and  thy  reward  exceeding  great."  The  pilgrim 
pays  little  attention  to  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  and  the 
gTeat  possessions  of  the  rich;  his  aim  is  to  get  to  his  father- 
land as  soon  as  possible;  and  we,  following  his  example, 
should  study  the  shortest  paths  to  our  celestial  home.  "  Seek 
ye,  therefore,  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  justice,  and 
all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you." 

FIFTEENTH  SUNDAY  APTEK  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  vii.  11-16.  At  that  time  Jesus  went  into  a  city  that 
is  called  Nairn:  and  there  went  with  him  his  disciples,  and  a  great 
multitude.  And  when  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold 
a  dead  man  was  carried  out,  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  was 
a  widow:  and  a  great  multitude  of  the  city  was  with  her.  Whom 
when  the  Lord  had  seen,  being  moved  with  mercy  towards  her,  he 


228  Christ  Raises  the  Widow'' s  Son  to  Life. 

said  to  her:  Weep  not.  And  he  came  near  and  touched  the  bier.  (And 
they  that  carried  it  stood  still.)  And  he  said:  Young  man,  I  say  to 
thee,  Arise.  And  he  that  was  dead  sat  up  and  began  to  speak.  And 
he  gave  him  to  his  mother.  And  there  came  a  fear  on  them  all:  and 
they  glorified  God,  saying:  A  great  prophet  is  risen  up  among  us: 
and  God  hath  visited  his  people. 


CHRIST  EAISES  THE  WIDOW  S  SON  TO  LIFE. 

Behold  here  a  bright,  joyous  and  lively  youth,  snatched 
from  the  enjoyment  of  life  by  death.  He  is  being  carried  out 
of  the  town  to  be  buried,  and  he  was  the  only  son  of  his 
mother,  and  she  was  a  widow.  Friends  were  walking  after 
the  bier,  the  disconsolate  mother  resting  on  the  arm  of  a 
friend.  The  widow  had  suffered  a  great  loss,  for  this  soa 
v/as  her  sole  support,  her  help,  her  consolation;  her  sorrow 
affected  the  whole  community,  and  all  went  forth  to  show 
their  sympathy.  It  is  absolutely  true,  and  it  seems  foolish 
to  state  such  a  truism,  that  every  man  must  at  some  time  die. 
*^  It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die."  Death  does  not 
respect  time,  place,  person  or  age;  it  comes  at  the  appointed 
hour.  Death  will  grasp  those  who  are  to  be  its  victims  in 
any  place,  on  land  or  on  sea,  in  the  house,  in  the  church, 
wherever  he  finds  them,  he  cuts  the  thread  of  life  and  the 
end  has  come.  In  the  midst  of  pleasure,  many  deaths  are 
known  to  have  occurred,  even  in  the  mad  whirl  of  the  dance. 
Death  does  not  wait  for  an  opportune  time;  when  you  are 
ready,  or  when  you  have  gained  the  object  of  your  ambition, 
or  finished  a  certain  work  which  you  were  to  do,  day  or  night, 
it  is  all  alike  to  him;  old  age,  of  course,  has  to  go;  youth  is  so 
frequently  called  that  he  cannot  promise  himself  any  time; 
the  average  life  of  man  is  twenty-two  years,  and  even  during 
this  time  you  may  be  called  upon  at  any  moment.  Neither  is 
death  restricted  in  the  mode  of  his  execution.  He  needs  no 
fever,  no  convulsions,  no  consumption,  in  short  no  particular 
sickness;  he  cuts  off  the  thread  of  life  just  because  your  race 
is  over.     Look  at  the  fish  still  struggling  in  the  water  to  gpt 


Fifteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  229 

away  from  the  angler;  it  is  soon  drawn  to  the  shore,  palpi- 
tating and  jumping,  and  a  few  moments  will  seal  its  doom, 
soon  all  ,will  be  over.  The  net  is  perhaps  enveloping  ns, 
too;  we  are  as  lively  as  ever  and  think  little  of  death,  but 
the  net  will  be  drawn  to  the  shore  and  the  end  has  come. 
Many  are  called  out  of  this  world  without  the  least  warning. 
One  drops  on  the  road,  another  drowns,  one  is  struck  by 
lightning,  another  is  cut  down  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin; 
all  these  never  dreamed  that  death  was  so  near,  and  thought 
they  had  many  more  years  to  live. 

Our  Lord  tells  us  the  hour  of  death  is  very  uncertain,  for 
He  says:  "Watch  ye,  therefore,  because  you  know  not  the 
day  nor  the  hour.  ...  Be  you  also  ready,  because  at  what 
hour  you  know  not  the  Son  of  man  will  come."  He  even 
tells  us  that  He  steals  secretly  upon  us.  "  The  day  of 
the  Lord  shall  so  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night.'^  Death  may 
come  to  you  in  your  sleep,  or  when  you  are  at  play.  Cannot 
death  as  easily  cut  your  life  short  when  you  are  committing 
sin?  And  if  death  should  come  upon  you  without  giving 
you  time  to  prepare  for  the  dread  future,  not  even  by  a  single 
good  thought,  what  would  become  of  your  soul?  Might  it 
not  be  possible  that  you  would  find  yourself  in  hell?  When 
this  is  possible  is  it  not  presumption  and  temerity  to  remain 
one  day  in  mortal  sin?  Who  of  us,  even  for  a  short  time, 
would  like  to  lie  alongside  a  corpse,  and  yet  we  go  to  bed 
without  hesitation  when  our  soul  is  dead  in  sin.  Do  we  not 
know  that  mortal  sin  hastens  death;  for  we  read  that  "  the 
sting  of  death  is  sin."  It  is  not  fasting,  abstinence  or  morti- 
fication that  shortens  life,  but  the  sins,  the  vices,  the  passions 
we  are  subject  to.  Those  bad  communions,  those  sacrilegious 
confessions,  our  cold  ingratitude  shorten  our  lives.  '^  The 
years  of  the  wicked  shall  be  shortened,"  and  again  we  read: 
He  "  was  wicked  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  and  was  slain  by 
Him."  Of  one  who  committed  a  heinous  crime  it  is  said 
"  for  that  the  Lord  struck  him,  because  he  had  done  a  de- 
testable thing." 


230  Christ  liaises  the  Widow^s  Son  to  Life, 

Once  when  Anastasius  in  his  dreams  was  plotting  great 
cruelties  against  the  people,  he  saw  before  him  a  man  of 
horrible  appearance  who  had  a  book  in  which  was  written 
his  sins:  "See,"  he  said,  "I  shall  take  fourteen  years  from 
the  number  of  your  days."  Anastasius  woke  up,  but  was  not 
certain  whether  he  ought  to  treat  the  dream  as  a  warning 
or  as  a  foolish  delusion.  A  few  days  afterwards  thunder  and 
lightning  came  down  from  a  clear  sky.  Anastasius  was 
terror-stricken,  for  an  interior  voice  seemed  to  say  to  him 
that  this  terrible  demonstration,  was  intended  for  him;  there- 
•upon  he  hid  himself  in  a  closet,  but  a  stroke  of  lightning 
came  down  and  killed  him  in  his  hiding-place. 

Do  not  these  texts  of  the  Bible  and  these  simple  anecdotes 
prove  to  us  that  God  has  sometimes  shortened  the  lives  of 
sinners?  We  can  conclude,  therefore,  that  all  sins,  not  per- 
haps so  markedly,  but  as  surely,  bring  about  the  same  con- 
sequences. And  this  ought  to  be  a  lesson  to  you,  my  dear 
young  friends,  for  would  you  not  call  a  halt  to  your  sins  if 
you  knew  positively  that  you  were  shortening  your  days  by 
exciting  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty,  to^  say  nothing  of  the 
sickness  that  indulgence  in  vice  brings  about? 

The  thought  of  the  nearness  of  death  is  a  salutary  means 
to  curb  our  passions.  Look  at  the  flower;  no  sooner  is  its 
beauty  fully  developed  than  its  decay  is  at  hand.  Look  at 
the  waters  of  the  fountain;  for  a  while  they  sparkle  in  the 
basin  in  which  they  are  born,  but  they  soon  run  away  and 
are  seen  no  more.  Look  from  your  window  at  the  glorious 
sun  shining  brilliantly  in  the  zenith,  and  then  setting  be- 
hind the  horizon  for  the  night;  remember  that  all  this  is  a 
figure  of  death.  Holy  Job  kept  the  memory  of  death  in  his 
mind,  comparing  it  sometimes  to  the  rapid  passage  of  a  run- 
ner,  to  the  leaf  blown  along  by  the  wind,  to  the  flower,  to 
the  passing  storm.  But  what  conclusion  does  light-hearted 
youth  draw  from  the  short-lived  pleasures  of  this  world?  On 
them  there  is  produced  no  serious  impression.  If  our  life 
disappears  like  a  speck  of  dust,  let  us  enjoy  it  while  we  may. 


Sixteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  231 

even  though  in  doing  so  we  sin.  Ah,  my  dear  young  friends, 
this  is  all  wrong;  you  should  work  as  though  this  were  the 
last  day  of  your  life;  pray  as  though  it  were  for  the  last 
time;  go  to  confession  and  communion  as  if  they  were  the 
last  you  were  to  make.  This  is  the  way  to  make  your  life 
profitable,  and  then  the  Judge  will  be  a  welcome  visitor,  be- 
cause you  are  prepared  for  Him,  and  you  have  not  been  taken 
unawares. 

"  Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  when  his  lord  shall  come, 
he  shall  find  so  doing."  Wake  up,  my  good  young  people, 
and  do  something  for  eternity;  give  up  those  vices  and  sins 
which  will  be  your  eternal  damnation;  bewail  the  crimes 
which  have  so  far  led  you  astray,  and  God  will  take  you  by 
the  hand,  raise  you  from  death,  and  give  you  eternal  life. 


SIXTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Luke  xiv.  1-11.  At  that  time  when  Jesus  went  into  the 
house  of  one  of  the  chief  of  the  Pharisees,  on  the  sabbath  day,  to  eat 
bread,  they  watched  him.  And  behold  there  was  a  certain  man  be- 
fore him  that  had  the  dropsy.  And  Jesus  answering,  spoke  to  the 
lawyers  and  Pharisees,  saying:  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  sabbath 
day?  But  they  held  their  peace.  But  he,  taking  him,  healed  him, 
and  sent  him  away.  And  answering  them,  he  said:  Which  of  you 
shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fall  into  a  pit,  and  will  not  immediately 
draw  him  out  on  the  sabbath  day?  And  they  could  not  answer  him 
to  these  things.  And  he  spoke  a  parable  also  to  them  that  were  in- 
vited, marking  how  they  chose  the  first  seats  at  the  table,  saying  to 
them :  When  thou  art  invited  to  a  wedding,  sit  not  down  in  the  first 
place,  lest  perhaps  one  more  honorable  than  thou  be  invited  by  him, 
and  he  that  inviteth  tLee  and  him,  come  and  say  to  thee:  Give  this 
man  place:  and  then  thou  begin  with  shame  to  take  the  lowest  place: 
but  when  thou  art  invited,  go,  sit  down  in  the  lowest  place :  that 
when  he  who  invited  thee  cometh,  he  may  say  to  thee:  Friend,  go  up 
higher.  Then  shalt  thou  have  glory  before  them  that  sit  at  the  table 
with  thee.  Because  every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  humbled: 
and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted. 


232  The  Observance  of  Sundm/, 


THE   OBSERVANCE  OF   SUNDAY, 

Our  divine  Lord  went  about,  continually  doing  good  to 
all;  He  instructed  the  ignorant,  healed  the  sick,  brought  the 
dead  to  life,  and  freed  those  possessed  of  the  devil.  All  these 
benefits  ought  to  have  made  Him  beloved  by  all;  many  did 
love  the  good  Jesus,  but  there  were  others  who  hated  Him, 
and  were  constantly  persecuting  Him.  So  far  did  their 
hatred  go,  that  long  before  the  time  appointed  by  Providence 
for  His  death  they  sought  to  apprehend  Him,  and  once  in- 
deed they  even  took  up  stones  to  put  Him  to  death,  but  He 
made  Himself  invisible  to  them  and  walked  away  unmolested. 
His  goodness  was  a  stumbling-block  to  them.  The  same 
thing  will  be  found  among  Christians;  it  is  hard  to  believe, 
but  there  are  Pharisees  among  us;  there  are  people  who  hate 
those  who  are  doing  good.  They  do  not  wish  to  be  good 
themselves,  and  they  can  not  bear  that  others  should  be. 
As  soon  as  they  hear  that  some  one  has  distinguished  himself 
by  good  works,  they  try  to  detract  from  his  work;  they  talk 
against  it,  and  blacken  his  character  as  well  as  the  act  itself. 
This  is  so  abominable  and  ignominious  a  disposition  that  you 
cannot  find  worse — it  is  something  of  the  nature  of  the  sin 
of  Cain.  Abel,  the  good  and  pious  husbandman  had  given 
to  the  Lord  as  a  sacrifice  the  wheat  of  the  field,  and  for  this 
the  fire  of  G-od's  love  descended  on  the  offering  and  consumed 
it.  So  angry  did  Cain  become,  that  he  could  no  longer  bear 
his  brother,  and  conceived  the  terrible  idea  of  murdering 
him.  He  invited  him  to  go  with  him  to  a  field,  with  the 
ostensible  purpose  of  looking  at  something  in  which  both 
were  interested.  There  he  took  a  club  and  killed  Abel.  What 
a  horrible  thing  was  this  first  murder,  the  result  of  envy. 
Could  not  Cain  have  been  as  good  as  Abel?  One  was  better 
than  the  other,  and  consequently  God  loved  him  more.  Envy 
is  the  devil's  principal  vice,  and  one  reason  why  he  wishes 
to  do  so  much  injury  to  human  kind.  We  manifest  this  same 
murderous  disposition  when  we  practice  enw  ior  any  reason 


Sixteenth  BundoAf  after  Pentecost, 

whatever,  but  especially  when  we  feel  envious  of  others  who 
are  better  than  we  are.  It  is  a  most  disagreeable  trait  of 
character  not  to  like  the  good  qualities  of  our  neighbor. 
There  are  many  young  people  who  by  jokes  and  ridicule  lead 
others  astray,  and  make  themselves  willing  and  effective  tools 
of  Satan.  They  diminish  the  number  of  saints  in  heaven  and 
rob  many  of  the  society  of  Our  Lord,  and  by  destroying  their 
chance  of  going  to  heaven  make  His  sacred  blood  ineffectual 
in  their  case.  Of  such  as  these  I  would  ask,  do  you  not 
fear,  do  you  not  tremble,  to  heap  up  against  yourself  the  anger 
of  almighty  God?  Think  of  this  seriously,  cease  your  envy 
against  your  brethren  who  wish  to  serve  God,  guard  against 
the  ruin  of  souls  by  scandal,  seek  to  encourage  others  to  prac- 
tice virtue,  to  bring  many  over  to  the  following  of  Christ, 
and  your  reward  will  be  exceeding  great. 

While  the  Pharisees  were  closely  watching  Our  Lord,  there 
was  a  man  among  the  audience  sick  of  the  dropsy.  Turning 
to  the  Pharisees  Jesus  asked  them,  ^^  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on 
the  Sabbath-day?  "  Our  Lord  had  often  healed  on  this  day 
of  rest,  but  they  had  taken  offence  at  it,  and  made  it  a  cause 
of  accusation.  But  now  they  did  not  answer.  Then  Our 
Lord  took  the  sick  man  by  the  hand,  healed  him  and  sent 
him  away.  And  turning  to  the  Pharisees  He  said:  "  Which 
of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fall  into  a  pit  and  will  not 
immediately  draw  him  out  on  the  Sabbath-day?"  And  they 
could  not  answer  Him.  Our  Lord  could  but  pity  the  blind- 
ness of  these  men. 

The  Jews  were  such  exact  observers  of  the  laws  of  the 
Sabbath-day  that  they  even  abstained  from  doing  works  of 
charity.  Our  Lord  on  this  occasion  wished  to  teach  them  that 
it  was  not  wrong  to  do  a  good  action  on  this  day;  in  fact 
that  it  was  the  day  on  which  such  things  should  be  done. 
Let  me  make  a  few  reflections  on  the  manner  of  sanctifying 
the  feasts  of  the  Church.  The  Catechism  of  the  Council  of 
Trent  tells  us  that  we  sanctify  the  day  by  hearing  Mass, 
receiving  communion,  and  hearing  the  word  of  God.    But 


234  The  Observance  of  Sunday, 

what  do  our  young  people  do  on  feast  days?  How  few  there 
are  who  give  ear  to  the  command  of  the  Church  to  hear  Mass; 
they  would  rather  go  and  enjoy  themselves,  drinking  and 
carousing:  if  they  assist  at  Mass  they  are  there  only  in  body; 
their  mind  is  engaged  on  subjects  totally  foreign  to  what  is 
going  on;  their  eyes  wander  here  and  there,  they  talk  and 
laug'h,  even  at  the  most  sacred  parts  of  the  Mass,  or  when  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  is  exposed;  month  after  month  passes, 
even  year  after  year,  and  they  do  not  approach  the  sacred 
tribunal  of  penance  or  go  to  holy  communion.  They  ought 
to  hear  the  word  of  God,  but  do  they  perform  this  duty? 
And  even  should  they  be  present  at  a  sermon,  do  they  re- 
member any  of  the  salutary  lessons  given  by  the  preacher? 
The  sanctification  of  the  feasts  of  God's  Church  is  a  positive 
and  clear  command.  We  read  in  the  Scriptures,  that  "  the  rest 
of  the  Sabbath  is  sanctified  to  the  Lord."  Are  they  not  very 
wicked  who  do  as  they  please  on  holy  days  or  who  commit  sin 
on  these  days?  What  have  they  to  expect  from  the  judgments 
of  God? 

Once  when  the  Israelites  were  wandering  in  the  desert, 
preparatory  to  the  time  when  they  were  to  be  admitted  into 
the  Promised  Land,  a  man  was  discovered  gathering  kindling- 
wood  on  the  Sabbath-day;  he  was  brought  to  Moses  and  Aaron 
and  the  assembled  tribes  of  Israel.  The  decision  was  that  he 
should  be  kept  securely  in  prison  until  they  had  received 
word  from  God  what  was  to  be  done.  God's  order  was  that 
he  should  be  taken  outside  the  camp  and  stoned  to  death. 

This  world  was  not  made  by  almighty  God  simply  for  our 
pleasure,  nor  were  the  days  given  us  for  the  same  purpose; 
in  short  God  has  reserved  to  Himself  certain  days,  whidh  we 
should  consecrate  to  Him.  These  occasions  are  like  days  of 
mercy  and  grace,  on  which,  for  a  while,  at  least,  we  with- 
draw from  the  things  of  this  world,  in  order  to  raise  our 
eyes  and  our  hearts  to  God.  Sanctify,  then,  these  days;  do 
not  desecrate  them  by  unlawful  work,  by  dissipation  or  by 
sin.    I  know  that  those  who  are  advanced  in  years  ought  to 


Sixteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  235 

give  you  a  good  example  in  this  regard.  We  often  find 
avaricious  old  men  and  women,  working  at  their  trades  or 
spending  hours  in  playing  cards,  or  in  games.  But  be  not 
infected  by  their  wickedness.  Even  should  unscrupulous  em- 
ployers or  your  parents  command  you  to  work  on  Sunday  or 
a  holy  day,  say  openly  and  frankly,  '^I  will  not  work — ^I 
will  obey  God  rather  than  man.' ''  Do  not  content  yourself 
by  doing  only  a  little  of  God's  will  on  these  days;  do  all 
that  is  required  for  their  sanctification.  Hear  Mass  with 
great  devotion  and  listen  to  the  word  of  God  preached  by 
His  ministers.  See  how  our  forefathers,  even  in  times  of 
persecution,  observed  the  feasts  of  the  Church!  They  de- 
scended into  the  catacombs  of  Eome,  heard  Mass,  and  went 
to  communion;  there  they  remained  engaged  in  holy  dis- 
course, exhorting  one  another  to  give  up  life  and  liberty 
for  Jesus  Christ.  The  mother  would  point  out  to  her  chil- 
dren the  tomb  of  a  father,  brother  or  daughter,  who  had 
given  up  life  for  Christ,  and  inspire  them  with  courage  to 
remain  faithful  to  the  end.  Eemember  we  are  the  children 
of  the  saints,  and  should  live  and  die  as  they  lived  and 
died. 

Our  Lord  wishes  also  on  this  occasion  to  give  to  the 
Pharisees  a  lesson  of  humility.  It  was  their  custom,  on  ac- 
count of  their  rank  and  their  pretended  piety,  to  look  for  the 
places  of  honor  at  the  table.  The  very  humiliation  which 
sometimes  befell  them  ought  to  have  taught  them  better. 
For  often  when  one  of  them  had  taken  the  first  place  at  the 
table  the  master  of  the  house  would  be  obliged  to  say  to 
him,  ^'  There  is  a  great  friend  of  mine  here  who  must  sit  at 
my  side,  so  you  will  have  to  go  down  lower  and  make  room 
for  him."  They  should  have  understood  that  they  ought  to 
take  the  last  place,  and  then,  if  they  merited  a  better  one,  the 
master  of  the  house  would  certainly  ask  them  to  go  up  higher; 
then  they  would  be  honored  before  all  the  guests.  For 
*'  whosoever  shall  exalt  himself  shall  be  humbled,  and  he  that 
eiiall  hiimble  himself  shall  be  exalted."    Be  humble,  there- 


236  The  Love  of  God  and  of  Our  Neighhor, 

fore;   do  not  place  yourself  above  others,  nor  try  to  make 
them  stepping-stones  for  your  own  greatness. 

No  one  can  ever  follow  out  these  rules  of  the  Gospel  with- 
out prayer.  By  means  of  this  powerful  weapon,  you  will 
obtain  humility  and  you  will  lead  a  happy  life,  for  the  more 
humble  you  are  the  more  will  you  be  exalted  and  freed  from 
ambitious  desires  that  rob  you  of  your  peace  of  mind.  Re- 
member that  the  more  you  shall  be  humbled  and  despised  in 
this  world  the  greater  will  be  your  reward  in  heaven. 


SEVENTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xxii.  35-46.  At  that  time,  the  Pharisees  came  nigh 
to  Jesus:  and  one  of  them,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  asked  him,  tempting 
him:  Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  in  the  law?  Jesus 
said  to  him :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart, 
and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  thy  whole  mind.  This  is  the 
greatest  and  the  first  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  to  this: 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these  two  command- 
ments dependeth  the  whole  law  and  the  prophets.  And  the  Pharisees 
being  gathered  together,  Jesus  asked  them,  saying:  What  think  you 
of  Christ?  Whose  son  is  he?  They  say  to  him:  David's.  He  saith 
to  them:  How  then  doth  David  in  spirit  call  him  Lord,  saying:  The 
Lord  said  to  my  Lord:  Sit  on  my  right  hand,  imtil  I  make  Oiy 
enemies  thy  foot-stool?  If  David  then  call  him  Lord,  how  is  he  his 
son?  And  no  man  was  able  to  answer  him  a  word :  neither  durst  any 
man  from  that  day  forth  ask  him  any  more  questions. 

THE  LOVE  OF  GOD  AND  OF  CUE  NEIGHBOK. 

The  good  people  that  surrounded  Our  Lord  when  He 
was  preaching  blessed  Him  for  His  admirable  doctrines,  and 
for  the  wisdom  of  His  answers.  Not  so  the  Pharisees;  they 
followed  Him  to  ask  Him  questions,  that  they  might  entrap 
Him,  and  use  His  words  against  Him.  For  that  reason  they 
came  to  Him  "tempting  Him."  One  of  these  hypocritical 
Pharisees,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  put  this  question  to  Our  Lord, 
"Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  in  the  law?" 


Seventeenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  237 

Our  Lord  saw  through  the  duplicity  of  this  man,  who  did  not 
desire  instruction,  hut  sought  rather  to  hring  confusion  on 
the  Master.  He  did  not  deserve  an  answer,  on  the  contrary 
he  should  have  received  a  rebuke.  But  the  honor  of  Our 
Lord's  heavenly  Father  was  at  stake,  and  the  crowd  was 
eager  to  learn:  so  Christ  answered  first,  and  afterwards  re- 
buked him. 

We,  my  dear  young  people,  can  draw  a  lesson  from  this 
manner  of  acting:  that  as  Christ  did,  we  also  should  do.  We 
should  learn  meekness  of  speech.  How  do  we  answer  those 
who  question  us?  Often  in  our  impatience  and  disrespect 
for  others,  we  burst  into  unkind  words  and  threats.  To  our 
superiors  we  are  often  cold  and  disdainful,  making  our  in- 
struction and  correction  difficult  and  distasteful  to  them. 
Ah,  my  dear  young  friends,  always  answer  kindly;  be  charit- 
able and  polite,  be  Christians  and  close  followers  of  the 
Eedeemer.  "  Be  ye  kind  one  to  another.^'  Cassian  relates 
that  there  lived  in  Alexandria  a  holy  old  man  surrounded  by 
many  infidels  who  spoke  injurious  things  of  him,  but  he 
stood  all  their  abuse  with  an  unmoved  heart.  '^  What  mira- 
cles did  Jesus  Christ  perform? '^  they  asked.  '^Ah/'  he  re- 
plied, "  He  has  done  one  miracle  that  you  can  see  with  your 
own  eyes.  I  do  not  resent  the  injuries  inflicted  on  me.  He 
has  given  me  the  grace  to  bear  with  patience  all  your  perse- 
cutions. This  is  a  great  miracle,  a  great  and  sublime  per- 
fection, which  I  have  attained  by  the  intervention  of  Christ." 

Let  us  now  come  to  the  sweet  answer  which  the  Lord  gave: 
"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart  and 
with  thy  whole  soul  and  with  thy  w^hole  mind.  This  is  the 
greatest  and  the  first  commandment.'^  My  dear  young 
friends,  have  you  ever  thought  of  this  great  precept:  to  love 
God  with  all  your  heart,  with  all  your  soul,  with  all  your 
mind?  Our  Lord  calls  the  heart,  soul,  and  mind  into  the 
work  of  love,  and  not  without  reason.  Love  God  with  your 
whole  heart,  be  generous  and  fervent  in  your  love.  "  My  son, 
give  Me  thy  heart."    Have  you  given  your  heart  with  all  its 


238  The  Love  of  God  and  of  Our  NeigKbor, 

affections  to  God?  Ah,  who  knows  but  you  have  given  your 
heart  to  the  world,  to  vice,  and  to  the  devil!  How  many  there 
are  who  in  their  childhood  give  their  hearts  to  God,  but  as 
they  grow  up,  they  give  them  to  sin.  You  were  good  in  your 
tender  years,  pious,  affectionate  and  loving;  but  in  course  of 
time  you  have  taken  back  this  sacred  gift  to  give  it  to  the 
devil.  What  is  it  to  love  God  with  all  your  soul?  Your  soul 
is  a  pure,  intelligent  spirit,  that  has  the  power  of  clinging  to 
God  so  entirely  that  nothing  should  interfere  with  that  inter- 
course. You  should  also  love  Him  with  all  your  mind.  All 
your  thoughts  should  be  centred  on  God  alone;  your  will 
should  be  so  directed  as  to  make  you  think  of  God  and  to 
love  Him.  All  the  powers  of  your  mind  should  be  stirred  up 
to  do  that  for  which  you  were  created;  your  whole  body,  your 
eyes,  ears,  mouth,  feet  and  hands,  should  be  active  in  the 
love  of  God.  All  your  desires  should  be  wakened  to  love  Him; 
if  you  eat,  do  it  for  the  love  of  God;  if  you  enjoy  the  things 
of  this  world,  rejoice  in  the  Lord;  if  you  fear,  fear  God 
for  His  justice;  if  you  are  sad,  bewail  your  sins  and  the  sins 
of  'others.  This  is  the  way  to  love  God,  and  if  you  do  this 
your  soul  will  be  filled  with  the  peace  and  happiness  of 
heaven.  So  great  will  this  happiness  be,  that  with  St.  Ephrem 
you  will  cry  out,  "Lord,  retire  a  little;  my  frail  condition 
cannot  endure  this  love."  And  with  St.  Francis  Xavier, 
"  Lord,  it  is  enough! "  Why  do  you  and  why  did  the  saints 
feel  such  a  joy?  Because  it  is  a  foretaste  of  the  joys  of 
heaven.  God  is  not  loved  without  a  reward,  says  St.  Bernard: 
all  this  delight  is  given  you  as  a  reward  in  this  vale  of  tears. 

My  dear  young  friends,  let  not  the  false  splendor  of  the 
good  things  of  this  world  interfere  with  your  love  for  God„ 
You  know  that  these  splendors  are  false  and  that  they  can- 
not satisfy  nor  content  your  heart;  despise  them  then  as  the 
saints  did.  We  read  the  following  of  St.  Clement:  Diocle- 
tian, a  great  and  bitter  enemy  of  the  faith,  caused  St.  Clement 
to  be  brought  before  him;  heaps  of  money,  vases  of  gold, 
and  magnificent  robes  were  brought  in  and  placed  on  one 


Seventeenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  239 

side;  while  an  the  other  side  were  chains,  manacles,  and  in- 
struments of  torture.  Then  Diocletian  said  to  the  saint:  "  If 
you  deny  Christ,  all  this  wealth  is  yours,  besides  many  honors 
and  rich  offices  that  are  in  the  gift  of  an  emperor  as  great  as 
I  am.  But  if  you  persist  in  the  worship  of  Christ,  these  in- 
struments of  torture  and  of  death  will  be  used  on  you  with- 
out mercy.  Think  and  choose."  Did  the  saint  hesitate  for 
a  moment?  No;  he  cast  an  eye  of  supreme  contempt  on  the 
tyrant  and  his  treasures,  and  turning  from  them,  said,  in  the 
words  of  the  Apostle,  that  neither  height  nor  depth,  that  is, 
neither  good  nor  evil,  should  ever  draw  him  from  the  love  that 
he  owed  to  Jesus  Christ.  Was  not  this  an  heroic  example  of 
the  love  of  Jesus? 

But  to  this  precept  of  the  whole-souled  love  of  God,  we 
must  also  join  the  love  of  our  neighbor;  a  precept,  as  Our 
Lord  calls  it,  very  like  the  first.  "The  second  is  like  to 
this:  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  Love  of 
yourself  is  presented  to  you  as  the  rule  by  which  you  may 
be  directed  in  the  love  of  your  neighbor.  It  is  not  likely 
that  you  will  consider  you  have  given  in  too  much  to  your 
self-love.  We  are  composed  of  body  and  soul,  therefore  we 
must  love  our  neighbor  in  body  and  soul.  Eegarding 
the  body,  you  must  do  him  no  injury,  not  even  in  wish; 
help  him  in  all  his  necessities;  console  him  in  all  his 
afflictions;  sacrifice  yourself  for  him;  in  other  words,  forget 
yourself  in  the  service  of  your  fellow-man.  But  more  im- 
portant than  the  body  is  the  soul.  What  must  you  do  for 
your  neighbor  in  regard  to  his  soul?  Always  give  him  good 
example;  gently  correct  him  when  he  needs  it;  lead  him 
away  from  bad  associates;  draw  him  to  church  and  to  the 
sacraments.  Pray  for  the  wicked  in  all  your  supplications  to 
God.  You  can  do  more  to  convert  your  neighbor  than  a  priest 
can  with  his  sermons;  you  can  bring  personal  influence  to 
bear  on  him.  The  priest  may  preach  himself  hoarse  and 
tired;  you  have  the  heart  of  your  friend  in  your  hands  and 
can  mould  it;  if  not  at  once,  at  least  by  degrees.    Besides, 


240  The  Love  of  God  and  of  Our  NeigTibor, 

as  St.  James  says,  "The  continual  prayer  of  a  just  man 
availeth  much/' 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi  did  not  think  he  loved  God  unless  he 
proved  it  by  bringing  souls  to  Him.  St.  Ignatius  Loyola 
said  that  if  he  had  one  foot  in  heaven  he  would  come  back 
if  he  saw  an  opportunity  of  saving  one  soul.  The  Cure  d^Ars 
said  after  his  communion,  "  How  many  souls  would  I  gain  for 
God  if  I  were  a  priest!"  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna  declared 
that  she  would  throw  herself  at  the  devil,  and  struggle  with 
him  for  the  possession  of  a  soul  to  bring  it  to  God.  She 
was  a  poor,  weak  Sister,  and  yet  how  many  souls  did  she  not 
save  for  God.  How  did  she  do  it?  Was  it  by  eloquence  and 
by  learning?  No;  she  did  it  by  the  great  hatred  she  had 
for  sin,  and  by  the  great  love  she  had  for  sinners.  With  the 
same  dispositions  you  can  do  as  much  as  she  did.  You  have 
not  eloquence  nor  the  opportunity  to  use  it  if  you  had  it, 
but  you  can  have  this  hatred  for  sin,  you  can  have  love  for  the 
sinner,  you  can  help  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ  to  become 
operative  in  the  hearts  of  your  neighbor.  "  We  are  the  help- 
ers of  God,"  says  St.  Paul.  Pray  fervently  to  Our  Lord  and 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  they  will  give  you  victory  over  the 
most  obstinate  cases.  Let  me  give  you  an  example  showing  how 
you  may  use  your  influence  on  your  friends  and  relations.  A 
little  girl,  nine  years  old,  seeing  that  her  father  refused  the 
sacraments  on  his  death-bed,  was  full  of  sorrow  and  concern. 
Being  left  alone  with  the  dying  man  she  conceived  a  happy 
thought.  She  went  into  the  room  and  took  her  place  near 
his  pillow.  The  father  noticed  her  and  said,  "  What  are 
you  doing,  my  dear?  "  ^'  Father,"  she  answered,  "  I  want  to 
bid  you  an  eternal  farewell.  I  shall  not  see  you  again  in  this 
world,  and,  certainly,  not  in  the  next.  They  tell  me  you  are 
going  to  die,  and  you  cannot  go  to  heaven,  because  you  re- 
fuse to  go  to  confession  and  you  will  be  damned.  How  un- 
happy I  am!  I  shall  never  again  see  my  father  whom  I  love 
so  much!"  The  dying  man  could  no  longer  restrain  his 
tears.    "  Console  yourself,  my  dear,  I  want  to  go  to  confes- 


Eighteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  241 

sion."  He  lived  for  some  time  after  the  occurrence,  and  to 
all  that  visited  him  he  related  how  he  owed  his  conversion  to 
his  little  daughter. 


EIGHTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  ix.  1-8.  Ai  that  time:  Jesus  entering  into  a  boat 
passed  over  the  water  and  came  into  his  own  city.  And  behold  they 
brought  to  him  one  sick  of  the  palsy  lying  in  a  bed.  And  Jesus, 
seeing  their  faith,  said  to  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy:  Be  of  good 
heart,  son,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee.  And  behold  some  of  the  scribes 
said  within  themselves:  He  blasphemeth.  And  Jesus  seeing  their 
thoughts,  said:  Why  do  you  think  evil  in  your  hearts?  Whether  is 
easier,  to  say.  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee :  or  to  say:  Arise  and  walk? 
But  that  you  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to 
forgive  sins  (then  said  he  to  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy) :  Arise,  take 
up  thy  bed  and  go  into  thy  house.  And  he  arose,  and  went  into  his 
house.  And  the  multitude  seeing  it  feared,  and  glorified  God  that 
gave  such  power  to  men. 

"  SON,  THY  SINS  AKE  FORGIVEN  THEE.'' 

Our  divine  Eedeemer,  who  came  down  from  heaven,  was 
continually  active  in  the  work  of  the  salvation  of  men  hy 
constant  preaching  and  hy  journeyings  up  and  down  the 
land  of  Palestine  in  search  of  poor,  miserable  sinners  to  bring 
them  hack  to  God.  He  healed  them  all,  for  "  the  power  of 
the  Lord  was  to  heal  them." 

Among  the  many  parables  given  by  Our  Lord,  let  us  medi- 
tate on  the  one  of  to-day's  Gospel.  One  day  Our  Lord  was  in 
a  boat  and  had  Himself  brought  across  the  lake  of  Genesareth 
to  His  own  city  Caphamaum.  They  called  Capharnaum  His 
city,  because  He  made  His  home  there  in  the  house  of  Simon, 
when  He  was  in  the  vicinity.  He  had  left  Nazareth  long  be- 
fore, and  seldom  went  back  to  the  place.  No  man  is  a  prophet 
in  his  own  country,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Nazareth  were  in- 
credulous, and  used  to  ask,  '^  Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  Son? 
Whence,  therefore,  hath  He  all  these  things?  " 

Caphamaum  was  quite  a  large  city,  situated  at  the  head 


242  "  Son^  Thy  Sins  are  Forgiven  Thee,^^ 

of  Lake  Genesareth;  there  was,  in  a  small  way,  considerable 
inland  commerce  and  fishing  there  and  the  people  seemed 
more  approachable  than  at  other  places.  When  they  heard 
that  Jesus  had  come  a  great  crowd  ran  to  the  house  where 
He  was,  filled  it,  and  even  blockaded  the  approaches  to  it. 
It  was  with  difficulty  that  a  poor  cripple,  a  man  who  had 
lost  the  use  of  all  his  limbs,  was  brought  there.  As  it  was  not 
possible  to  get  in  by  the  door,  the  man's  friend  climbed  to 
the  roof  and  making  a  hole  in  it,  they  lowered  the  sick  man 
into  Our  Lord's  presence.  The  kindness  of  those  who  assisted 
in  this  act  was  certainly  very  great,  for  a  great  deal  of  labor 
was  required.  Our  Lord  Himself  was  pleased  with  this  ex- 
hibition of  faith,  and  at  once  took  notice  of  the  sick  man 
who  was  laid  before  Him.  Great  was  the  charity  that  these 
men  exhibited  when  they  undertook  to  bring  the  paralytic  to 
Our  Lord.  But  Our  Lord  did  not  consider  the  body  at  first; 
He  thought  of  the  soul,  and  began  by  forgiving  the  man's 
sins.  When  we  are  sick,  all  sorts  of  advice  is  offered  to  us, 
and  the  doctor  is  at  once  sent  for;  this  is  as  it  should  be. 
My  young  friends,  when  you  hear  that  one  of  your  relatives  is 
sick  you  ought  to  show  an  interest  in  him  and  do  what  you  can 
for  him;  when  your  friends  and  companions  fall  sick,  show 
by  your  sympathetic  manner  that  you  feel  an  interest  in  their 
welfare  and  in  their  health;  you  are  thus  practising  one  of 
the  works  of  mercy,  which  is  very  important.  Nothing  is 
more  beautiful  than  to  see  young  people  helping  their  com- 
panions, and  faithfully  remaining  at  their  side  until  the  sick 
ones  are  cured,  or  until  death  comes;  parents  and  relatives 
will  willingly  yield  their  places  to  them,  for  they  know  how 
affectionate  young  people  can  be  to  one  another.  But  you 
ought  to  help  particularly,  when  you  find  that  your  friend 
is  sick  unto  death  in  sin;  then  you  ought  not  delay  trying 
to  revive  him.  Go  out  and  find  those  who  do  not  hear  Mass, 
who  will  not  go  to  confession,  and  talk  to  them,  that  you 
may  gain  them.  This  is  an  acceptable  gift  to  God,  and  He 
will  reward  you  accordingly.    Our  Lord  did  not  cure  the  poor 


Eighteenth  Simday  after  Pentecost,  243 

man  that  was  brought  to  Him  at  once.  God  has  His  time 
for  everything.  When  we  pray  we  often  think  that  our 
prayer  is  not  heard  because  we  do  not  see  a  miracle  wrought 
at  once,  but  God's  time  is  according  to  God's  wisdom  for  our 
own  good. 

Our  Lord  said  to  the  sick  man,  "Have  confidence:  thy 
sins  are  forgiven  thee."  Why  did  He  wish  first  to  forgive  his 
sins  and  then  to  cure  him  of  his  bodily  ills?  Because  sin  is 
the  great  evil,  in  fact,  is  the  only  evil  in  the  world,  and  sick- 
ness is  only  a  consequence.  If  we  say  all  miseries,  sickness, 
death,  and  starvation  are  nothing,  who  will  believe  us?  In 
fact  most  people  in  this  world  will  not  understand  this;  they 
take  no  account  of  sin;  these  people  do  not  want  to  know 
that  their  own  poverty  and  wickedness  and  that  of  millions 
of  others  are  the  result  of  sin.  In  Deuteronomy  the  Scripture 
says  that  "  The  Lord  will  strike  thee  with  want,  fever,  and 
cold,  on  account  of  thy  infidelity."  You  see  that  God  deals 
out  punishment  and  reward,  even  here  on  this  earth,  though 
we  do  not  see  it.  Let  us  look  at  the  happenings  of  the  world 
not  like  an  atheist,  but  like  one  who  believes  that  God  holds 
the  world  in  His  hands,  and  regulates  its  events  according  to 
His  supreme  will.  Here  is  a  young  man  who  has  fallen  into 
a  very  serious  sickness.  His  friends  say  he  caught  cold,  or 
did  not  take  care  of  himself — that  he  was  careless  or  neglect- 
ful; often,  were  they  to  look  below  the  surface,  they  would 
find  more  than  carelessness  or  neglect — they  would  find  that 
his  illness  was  but  the  consequence  of  his  sins.  Much  of  the 
poverty  and  evil  on  this  earth  could  be  avoided  did  people 
lead  better  lives,  and  try  to  conform  themselves  to  the  teach- 
ings of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour;  to  avoid  temptations,  or  to 
have  recourse  to  fervent  prayer  when  temptations  do  come. 
We  know,  of  course,  that  God  often  afflicts  those  He  loves 
best  with  many  physical  ills — ^but  if  He  does  He  gives  re- 
ward a  hundredfold  in  the  end;  and  gives  them,  too,  a  patient 
endurance  and  resignation  under  all  their  sufferings.  How- 
ever, the  fact  remains  that  most  of  the  troubles  in  this 
world  come  from  sin,  and  since  this  is  a  fact  we  ought  to 


244  ^'  jSori,  Thy  Sins  are  Forgiven  Thee^ 

learn  to  avoid  sin,  fear  it,  abhor  it,  and  let  it  never  become 
our  master. 

The  Scribes  who  heard  Jesus  say  "  Son,  thy  sins  are  for- 
given thee,"  immediately  cried  out,  "  He  blasphemeth;  who 
can  forgive  sin  but  God  only?  "  Jesus  was  God,  and  to  prove 
it  He  said,  "  Which  is  easier  to  say  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy, 
thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,  or  say.  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed  and 
walk?  '^  You  will  say,  that  to  man  both  are  equally  impossi- 
ble, that  God  alone  can  do  this.  To  prove  to  them,  then, 
that  He  was  God  and  could  forgive  sins.  He  commanded  the 
sick  man  to  arise  and  walk.  No  sooner  had  Our  Lord  pro- 
nounced these  words  than  the  man  not  only  arose  and  left  the 
bed  he  had  not  stirred  from  in  a  long  time,  but  was  able  to 
remove  the  bed  from  the  house  to  which  he  had  been  carried. 
The  people  who  had  witnessed  this  miracle  praised  God  for 
the  power  He  possessed  of  forgiving  sins  and  of  healing  so 
hopeless  a  case.  The  Pharisees  looked  on  in  stupid  wonder, 
but  did  not  accept  the  grace  of  conversion. 

Here  we  have  a  picture  of  many  Christians  and  of  many 
young  men  who  hear  of  the  wonders  of  God,  but  continue 
in  their  wicked  lives,  and  remain  obstinate  unbelievers. 
Nothing  that  God  may  do  seems  to  move  them. 

My  good  young  friends,  you  certainly  know  from  your  early 
education  that  God  has  given  you  the  great  Sacrament 
of  Penance,  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  to  help  you  to  get 
to  heaven.  Baptism  is  great  indeed,  because  it  makes  us 
children  of  God;  but  it  is  also  necessary  that  there  should  be 
another  sacrament  whidh,  when  Baptism  has  been  once  re- 
ceived will  again  cleanse  us  and  supply  again  and  again  the 
necessary  grace  to  become  friends  of  God. 

Great  indeed  was  the  mercy  of  God  when  He  instituted 
the  Sacrament  of  Penance.  But  does  the  sinner  avail  himself 
of  this  means  of  grace?  Many  abuse  it,  and  use  it  rather 
as  an  encouragement  to  crime.  ^'  I  will  go  on  in  my  manner 
of  life/'  says  the  sinner,  "  and  when  I  have  a  great  deal  to 
confess,  I  will  unburden  myself."    He  will  wait  until  a  large 


Eighteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  245 

mimber  is  preparing  for  the  sacrament  and  then  he  hopes  to 
get  through  easily;  he  thinks  that  this  sacrament  can  be  re- 
ceived at  any  time;  "  when  the  opportunity  presents  itself  I 
will  go/'  he  says.  Will  you, my  dear  young  man,  take  poison  be- 
cause you  have  at  hand  an  antidote  for  it?  Will  you  carelessly 
inflict  a  deadly  wound  on  your  body  because  a  doctor  can  be 
procured  at  any  time?  How  insane  would  such  an  act  be! 
Still  there  are  many  of  this  foolish  class.  Not  only  are  there 
many  who  abuse  the  graces  of  this  sacrament  by  an  unworthy 
reception  of  it,  but  a  number  have  not  the  proper  disposition 
for  receiving  it.  You  ought  to  examine  your  conscience  be- 
fore going  to  confession.  Do  you  review  your  life  since  your 
last  confession  so  as  to  place  your  duties  before  you?  And 
if  you  have  your  sins  ready  in  your  mind,  do  you  accuse  your- 
self with  real  sorrow,  or  do  you  only  say  an  act  of  contrition 
by  word  of  mouth?  You  surely  know  that  it  is  not  the  mere 
recital  of  your  sins  which  is  the  great  requirement  in  the 
sacrament  of  confession;  you  know  that  without  sorrow  there 
is  no  forgiveness.  It  includes  also  a  resolution  of  future 
amendment.  You  go  to  confession  not  only  to  receive  the 
forgiveness  of  past  sins,  but  you  must  see  to  it  that  you  lead 
a  better  life  in  the  future.  I  will  say  nothing  of  those  who 
avoid  the  confessional  as  they  would  a  pest.  These  are  like 
people  in  a  shipwreck,  w'ho  would  not  grasp  at  a  plank  by 
which  they  might  keep  afloat  and  be  saved.  They  evidently 
wish  to  be  damned  and  to  go  to  hell.  Take  this  lesson  on 
confession  to  heart;  use  it  for  your  salvation  and  if  you 
should  fall  into  sin,  you  can  turn  to  God  again.  He  will  re- 
ceive you  with  open  arms,  as  He  received  the  prodigal  son: 
"  The  son  that  was  lost  is  found  again."  Gro  to  the  minister 
of  God's  justice,  the  priest,  with  sorrow;  tell  him  your  frail- 
ties, bewail  them  with  bitterness,  resolve  that  in  the  future 
you  will  avoid  all  occasions  of  sin,  and  watch  over  your  pas- 
sions carefully  in  order  that  you  may  not  fall.  And  these 
consoling  words  will  sink  deep  into  your  soul,  "  Have  con- 
fidence, my  son,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee;  go  in  peace." 


246  Ths  King  who  made  a  Ma/rriage- Feast  for  his  Son, 


NIN'ETEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xxii.  1-14.  At  that  time:  Jesus  spoke  to  the  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees  in  parables,  saying:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
likened  to  a  king,  who  made  a  marriage  for  his  son.  And  he  sent  his 
servants  to  call  them  that  were  invited  to  the  marriage:  and  they 
would  not  come.  Again  he  sent  other  servants,  saying:  TeU  them 
that  were  invited.  Behold,  I  have  prepared  my  dinner,  my  beeves 
and  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all  things  are  ready;  come  ye  to  the  mar- 
riage. But  they  neglected:  and  went  their  ways,  one  to  his  farm, 
and  another  to  his  merchandise.  And  the  rest  laid  hands  on  his  ser- 
vants, and,  having  treated  them  contumeliously,  put  them  to  death. 
But  when  the  king  had  heard  of  it,  he  was  angry,  and,  sending  his 
armies,  he  destroyed  those  murderers,  and  burnt  their  city.  Then  he 
saith  to  his  servants:  The  marriage  indeed  is  ready j  but  they  that 
were  invited  were  not  worthy.  Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways, 
and  as  many  as  you  shall  find,  call  to  the  marriage.  And  his  servants 
going  forth  into  the  ways,  gathered  together  all  that  they  found, 
both  bad  and  good:  and  the  marriage  was  filled  with  guests.  And 
the  king  went  in  to  see  the  guests,  and  he  saw  there  a  man  who  had 
not  on  a  wedding  garment.  And  he  saith  to  him:  Friend,  how 
camest  thou  in  hither  not  having  a  wedding  garment?  But  he  was 
silent.  Then  the  king  said  to  the  waiters:  Bind  his  hands  and  feet, 
and  cast  him  into  the  exterior  darkness:  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.    For  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen. 

THE  KINQ  WHO  MADE  A  MARRIAGE-FEAST  FOR  HIS  SON. 

A  CERTAIN"  king  wished  to  celebrate  in  a  royal  manner  the 
marriage-feast  of  his  son,  and  he  invited  many  to  the 
banquet. 

The  figure  is  taken  from  the  habits  of  great  people  in  the 
East;  when  they  made  a  feast,  all  the  surrounding  country 
was  invited,  and  the  festivities  lasted  several  days;  all  that 
was  needed  for  full  enjoyment  was  supplied  through  the  gen- 
erosity of  the  host. 

When  the  hour  appointed  for  the  feast  had  come,  the 
servants  were  sent  out  to  make  known  that  all  was  ready, 
but  they  that  were  invited  made  excuses,  and  did  not  want 


Nmeteenth  Simday  after  Pentecost,  247 

to  come,  and  this  insulted  the  king.  Again  he  sent  out  the 
servants  to  these  and  importuned  them  to  come,  "but  they 
turned  their  backs;  some  went  off  to  cities,  others  went  to 
their  ordinary  business  avocations.  There  were  some  more 
cruel,  who  got  angry  at  this  importunity,  and  ill-used  the 
servants,  and  went  so  far  as  to  kill  some  of  them.  The  first 
part  of  this  parable  is  pointed  at  the  Jews,  whose  ingratitude 
it  shows,  for  which  they  deserve  a  severe  rebuke  from  God. 
He  sent  them  prophets,  great  and  good  men,  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Then  He  sent  them  John  the  Baptist,  the 
greatest  man  bom  of  woman,  but  they  would  not  listen  to 
him.  He  sent  them  the  Apostles,  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
God,  who  spoke  a  language  which  all  might  understand,  who 
worked  great  miracles  and  healed  the  sick,  and  still  the  Jews 
were  obstinate  and  persecuted  them,  had  them  crucified  and 
inflicted  the  most  cruel  punishment  on  them.  As  soon  as 
the  king  heard  of  this  ill-treatment  of  his  messengers  he  be- 
came angry,  and  great  was  the  punishment  that  came  over 
them. 

Sixty  years  after  the  death  of  Our  Lord,  the  Eomans  ap* 
peared  before  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  with  a  great  army;  they 
attacked  the  city,  burned  and  destroyed  everything,  even  the 
beautiful  Temple  itself,  till  nothing  remained,  not  a  stone 
upon  a  stone.  This  is  the  punishment  which  God  inflicted 
on  the  Jews  for  their  obstinacy.  All  the  great  kindness  and 
mercy  of  God  was  rejected  by  this  miserable  people;  they  re- 
mained firm  in  their  unbelief,  and  God  almost  annihilated 
this  nation,  of  which  He  had  taken  such  special  care  for 
many  centuries. 

My  dear  young  friends,  not  a  moment  passes  that  God  does 
not  speak  to  our  heart,  to  induce  us  to  live  a  more  devout 
and  recollected  life,  to  frequent  the  sacraments,  to  give  more 
good  example,  to  hate  sin,  to  avoid  it,  and  to  conceive  greater 
love  for  Him,  your  God,  your  Creator,  your  Father,  and  your 
Eedeemer.  Ah,  I  beg  of  you  with  this  example  of  God's 
just  anger  before  you,  do  not  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  His  loving 


£48  The  Kmg  who  made  a  Marriage- Feast  for  his  Son, 

invitation.  When  He  liad  settled  with  these  obstinate  people 
in  a  way  they  deserved,  he  called  His  servants  again,  and 
gave  them  further  instructions.  Since  those  who  were  in- 
vited are  not  worthy  to  come  to  My  feast,  and  My  feast  is 
ready,  you  must  try  to  fill  the  places.  Go  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  byways  of  the  country,  aad  whomsoever  you  meet 
bring  them  hither.  The  Jews  had  refused  obedience  and 
God  abandoned  them,  but  He  turned  to  the  Gentiles  and  sent 
His  Apostles  to  them  to  instruct  them,  and  to  preach  to  them 
the  glorious  tidings  of  the  Gospel.  We  ourselves  were  of  the 
number  of  the  Gentiles.  We  came  into  the  light,  from  out 
of  the  darkness,  and  we  embraced  that  faith. 

Great  and  generous  was  the  call;  we  were  not  needed,  even 
though  the  Jews  refused  Him.  God  took  us  up  gratuitously, 
and  adopted  us  into  His  nation.  His  holy  people.  How  many 
others  still  remain  blind  and  destitute!  Millions  of  Moham- 
medans and  pagans  go  to  hell.  "  As  the  snow-flakes  fall  from 
the  sky,  so  do  these  souls  fall  into  the  abyss  of  hell.'^  Who 
does  not  lament  their  sad  fate!  God  might  have  had  us  bom 
among  these  people,  and  we,  too,  would  have  been  deprived 
of  the  light  of  faith;  but  as  we  were  bom  among  Christians 
and  have  been  taught  and  brought  up  in  the  true  religion,  we 
ought  to  think  seriously  of  how  we  can  show  our  appreciation 
of  God's  mercy  and  kindness — our  gratitude  for  this  unde- 
served call. 

Let  us,  my  dear  young  friends,  be  firm  and  constant  to  the 
Catholic  Church,  out  of  which  there  is  no  salvation.  St. 
Francis  de  Sales  kept  such  thoughts  as  these  before  his 
mind,  for  he  said  he  could  not  thank  God  enough  for  making 
him  a  son  of  the  Church.  "  Great,  0  God,  great  are  Thy 
benefits  to  me;  how  can  I  thank  Thee  for  the  light  of  faith!  " 
St.  Louis,  king  of  France,  was  once  congratulated  on  being 
a  descendant  of  a  great  and  glorious  royal  house.  "  That  is 
nothing,"  he  answered;  ^^  the  greatest  gift  that  I  have  enjoyed 
from  God  is,  that  He  has  deigned  to  have  me  baptized  a  mem- 
ber of  His  Church.'' 


Nineteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  249 

In  the  meanwliile  all  the  guests  were  in  their  places  at  the 
great  banquet,  and  the  king,  as  was  proper,  went  among  them 
to  see  how  they  were  faring.  All  were  to  be  dressed  in  good 
clothes,  whidh  were  given  to  them  as  they  entered,  for  in 
those  days  the  host  not  only  furnished  the  table,  but  also  the 
garments  of  the  guests.  Among  the  guests  was  one  who  had 
not  on  a  wedding  garment.  The  king  asked  him:  "How 
came  you  in  here  without  a  wedding  garment?"  No  doubt 
he  had  despised  the  liberality  of  the  king,  and  said  to  him- 
self, "I  am  well  enough  in  this  old,  torn,  filthy  vesture"; 
and  consequently  he  could  offer  no  excuse  for  this  affront  to 
the  king  and  the  rest  of  the  company.  So  for  this  offence 
his  feet  and  hands  were  tied,  and  he  was  cast  into  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night,  where  there  would  be  wailing  and  gnashing 
of  teeth. 

This  is  the  miserable  sinner  who,  not  having  the  grace  of 
God,  which  is  the  wedding  garment,  was  covered  with  the 
rags  -and  filthy  garments  of  sin  and  vice.  Woe  to  the  sin- 
ner who  comes  before  the  great  King  in  this  condition!  This 
terrible  sentence  will  be  literally  executed;  he  shall  be  thrown 
into  exterior  darkness  and  will  hear  the  words:  "Begone 
from  Me,  ye  accursed,  into  eternal  fire,  where  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  How  terrible  it  is  to  be 
in  danger  of  this  judgment!  How  then  should  we  live,  that 
we  may  not  fall  into  sin,  and  deserve  to  be  treated  in  this 
way?  Many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen,  is  the  conclusion, 
and  a  review  of  the  whole  parable:  all  were  invited  to  the 
wedding-feast;  some  stayed  away  of  their  own  accord,  others 
were  punished  for  appearing  in  an  unbecoming  dress,  so  that 
there  were  but  few  indeed  who  really  enjoyed  the  feast.  That 
"Many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen"  is  true,  even  we, 
with  our  limited  intellect,  can  understand.  Do  not  the  great 
mass  of  people  live  in  sin?  Do  not  vice  and  passion  flood  the 
face  of  the  earth?  Young  and  old  lead  sinful  lives,  and  there 
are  few  who  are  really  good,  Eemember  that  Our  Lord  once 
said,  "  Wide  is  the  gate  and  broad  is  the  way  that  leadeth 


250  The  King  who  made  a  Ma/rriage-Feast  for  his  Son, 

to  destruction,  and  many  there  are  who  go  in  thereat '';  it 
is  the  great  boulevard  to  hell,  a  road  with  splendid  equipages 
and  full  of  style,  where  everybody  wants  to  travel.  But  the 
road  that  leads  to  paradise  is  very  small  and  full  of  thorns; 
the  gate  is  so  narrow  that  you  have  to  use  force  to  get 
through.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  requires  violence  to  get 
into  it,  and  only  the  violent  will  succeed  in  getting  in.  Be 
not  overconfident  in  persuading  yourselves  that  you  are  mak- 
ing the  necessary  efforts  to  gain  heaven.  St.  Paul  tells  us 
that  with  fear  and  trembling  we  are  to  work  out  our  salva- 
tion. St.  Augustine  feared  after  many  years  of  prayer  and 
penances  and  says:  "  I  will  not  encourage  you  to  think  your- 
selves safe  when  I  do  not  consider  myself  safe."  To  be  sure 
of  your  salvation  is  a  bad  sign.  St.  Gregory  tells  us:  "  When 
the  devil  wishes  to  damn  us,  he  gives  us  a  feeling  of  safety ''; 
and  St.  Bernard  says,  "  The  greater  sinners  we  are  the  safer 
we  feel.'^ 

This  thought,  then,  that  the  greater  part  of  men  are  to 
be  damned,  should  fill  our  hearts  with  terror  and  with  a  sal- 
utary fear.  We  can  certainly  belong  to  the  number  of  the 
elect  if  we  choose.  But  let  us  ask  ourselves  whether  we  really 
choose  to  be  of  this  number.  What  must  we  do?  Why  do 
so  many  Christians  perish  eternally?  Why?  Because  they 
are  Christians  in  name  only.  You  must  take  your  affections 
off  the  things  of  this  world,  fly  from  sin  and  bad  company, 
eradicate  every  vestige  of  vice  from  your  soul,  deny  your- 
selves, love  God  with  all  your  heart;  you  must  be  ready  to 
suffer  any  persecution  rather  than  sully  your  souls  with  mor- 
tal sin,  and  keep  the  law  of  God  and  of  the  Church  most  ex- 
actly. These  are  some  few  of  the  things  that  you  must  do, 
in  order  to  belong  to  the  number  of  those  who  will  enter 
heaven.  This  is  certain,  that  those  who  wish  to  be  saved  will 
go  to  heaven,  and  those  only  will  go  to  hell  who  want  to  go 
there.  The  celestial  feast  is  open  to  all,  the  Master  invites 
all,  and  is  anxious  that  all  should  be  there. 

The  invited  guests  that  wished  to  go  to  the  wedding-feast 


Twentieth  Sunday  after  Pentecost*  251 

could  go  if  they  wished;  all  were  welcome  and  lovingly  given 
places  at  the  table;  but  those  who  remained  away  and  obsti- 
nately resisted  repeated  invitations  did  not  taste  of  the  feast. 

You  have  good  and  evil  before  you;  make  your  choice; 
if  you  choose  the  good,  reward  will  be  yours,  but  if  the  evil, 
you  have  to  be  content  with  the  punishment  due  to  your  per- 
versity. 

I  will  conclude  with  the  words  of  the  Gospel:  "  Behold, 
I  have  prepared  My  dinner.  My  beeves  and  fatlings  are 
killed  and  all  things  are  ready;  come  ye  to  the  marriage.^' 


TWENTIETH  SUNDAY  AFTEK  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  John  iv.  46-53.  At  that  time  there  was  a  certain  ruler 
whose  son  was  sick  at  Capharnaum.  He  having  heard  that  Jesus 
was  come  from  Judea  into  Galilee,  went  to  him,  and  prayed  him  to 
come  down  and  heal  his  son,  for  he  was  at  the  point  of  death.  Jesus 
therefore  said  to  him:  Unless  you  see  signs  and  wonders  you  believe 
not.  The  ruler  saith  to  him:  Lord,  come  down  before  that  my  son 
die.  Jesus  saith  to  him:  Go  thy  way,  thy  son  liveth.  The  man  be- 
lieved the  word  which  Jesus  said  to  him,  and  went  his  way.  And  as 
he  was  going  down,  his  servants  met  him:  and  they  brought  word, 
saying  that  his  son  lived.  He  asked  therefore  of  them  the  hour 
wherein  he  grew  better.  And  they  said  to  him:  Yesterday  at  the 
seventh  hour  the  fever  left  him.  The  father  therefore  knew  that  it 
was  at  the  same  hour  that  Jesus  said  to  him:  Thy  son  liveth:  and 
himself  believed  and  his  whole  house. 


THE   HEALING   OF  THE   SON"   OF   THE   RULEK   AND   THE 
CONVEESION   OF   HIS   WHOLE   FAMILY. 

This  miracle  took  place  in  Cana  of  Galilee  where  Our  Lord 
performed  His  first  miracle  of  changing  water  into  wine  at 
the  marriage-feast.  There  was  there  a  local  ruler  w!ho  repre- 
sented Herod,  the  king,  and  held  authority  in  a  country 
where  enemies  were  plenty.  This  ruler  had  a  very  sick  son 
who  was  not  expected  to  recover;  the  ruler  heard  of  the  com- 
ing of  Our  Lord  to  the  place  and  he  set  out  in  his  fatherly 


252  The  Healing  of  the  Son  of  the  Buler, 

solicitude  to  beg  of  Him  to  come  to  his  home  and  restore  his 
child  to  health.  This  ruler  knew,  of  course,  that  Jesus  could 
do  it,  but  by  what  power  he  did  not  know;  he  did  not  know 
that  Jesus  was  God  Himself.  But  he  ascribed  to  Him  a 
power  which  was  beyond  that  of  man.  "You  can  do  it 
easily,  you  have  only  to  say  a  word,  and  there  is  nothing  im- 
possible to  you." 

"Unless  you  see  signs  and  wonders,  you  believe  not:" 
here  Our  Lord  reproved  the  ruler  with  a  want  of  sufficient 
faith;  he  believed  a  little,  just  enough  to  give  him  courage 
to  come  from  his  house,  and  look  to  Jesus  for  a  cure.  This 
same  severe  reproof  might  apply  to  many  Christians;  they 
believe  only  what  suits  them.  Christianity  is  not  so  much 
a  reality  as  it  is  a  custom,  a  condition,  in  which  they  were 
bom.  Doubt  is  a  want  of  faith.  What  doubtful  propositions 
and  systems  do  these  Christians  make  for  themselves!  For 
instance,  as  to  hell.  Many  people  dispute  as  to  what 
hell  is;  they  do  not  know,  but  some  make  it  a  very  hot  place, 
while  others  come  to  the  horrible  conclusion  that  there  is  no 
hell;  the  latter  do  not  want  to  be  troubled  by  such  frightful 
thoughts  of  a  future  life.  With  them  one  religion  is  as  good 
as  another;  they  think  that  all  are  in  error,  and  that  all  try 
to  do  a  little  for  man,  but  in  different  ways.  Fly  the  com- 
pany of  such  Christians,  shake  off  the  doubts  you  may  have 
imbibed,  study  questions  which  relate  to  your  religion.  St. 
John  the  Evangelist  once  accidentally  met  Corinthus,  the 
heretic.  "Corinthus,  the  enemy  of  truth,  is  here;  let  us 
be  gone,"  he  said,  "  lest  the  house  fall  upon  us."  St.  Poly- 
carp  met  the  heretic  Marcion  in  Rome;  as  they  came  face  to 
face,  Polycarp  turned  away  and  looked  in  another  direction. 
Marcion,  with  bold  effrontery,  asked,  "Do  you  not  know 
me?"  "Yes,"  Polycarp  answered,  "I  know  you  to  be  the 
first-born  of  the  devil." 

It  is  not  only  necessary  to  avoid  people  who  may  make  you 
lose  your  faith;  you  should  not  only  love  this  precious  gift 
and  keep  it  safe  in  your  heart,  but  you  must  also  show  it  be- 


•  Twentieth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  253 

fore  the  world.  How  can  you  do  this?  You  can  do  it  by  per- 
forming many  good  works  in  the  spirit  of  faith.  We  read 
that  faith  without  works  is  dead,  and  works  without  faith 
have  no  spiritual  value.  Faith  without  works  is  like  a  body 
without  life,  and  without  breath.  As  a  dead  body  is  no 
longer  a  man,  so  a  dead  faith  is  no  longer  considered  faith. 
A  young  man  who  knows  that  sin  is  the  great  evil  of  the 
world,  and  still  continues  to  commit  it,  cannot  be  said  to 
have  faith.  He  cannot  be  said  to  have  faith  who  knows  that 
God  punishes  sin  with  eternal  punishment,  and  yet  still  re- 
mains in  sin,  though  he  has  the  means  to  put  himself  in  the 
grace  of  God.  That  youth  has  no  faith  who  knows  that  God 
is  everywhere,  that  He  sees  all  things,  even  the  most  care- 
fully concealed,  and  yet  contaminates  his  heart  by  secret 
crimes.  That  young  person  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  any 
faith  who,  knowing  that  Christ  is  ever  present  on  our  altars 
in  church,  yet  behaves  as  if  he  were  on  the  street,  talking 
and  laughing;  not  praying  himself  and  disturbing  others  at 
their  prayers.  What  is  the  good  of  believing  in  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  living  like  a  pagan? 

My  good  and  faithful  followers,  "  without  faith  it  is  im- 
possible to  please  God,^'  as  St.  Paul  said  to  the  Hebrews. 
Faith  will  give  life  to  your  souls  and  will  nourish  them.  If 
you  have  a  well-grounded,  lively  faith  you  will  come  out 
victorious  from  every  battle  with  your  passions  and  sins.  You 
will  conquer  yourself  and  your  wicked  nature. 

During  a  persecution  in  Japan  a  young  Japanese  gave  a 
good  example  of  firm  faith.  He  was  advised  by  his  own  father 
to  deny  the  faith,  and,  refusing,  he  was  compelled  to  stand 
without  any  support,  his  hands  and  feet  tied  firmly.  At 
length,  after  two  days,  the  tender  feeling  of  the  father  for 
his  son  induced  him  to  loose  the  bonds.  Straightway  the 
youth  went  to  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  and  the  first  food 
he  partook  of  was  holy  communion.  Beg  of  God,  my  dear 
young  friends,  that  you  may  have  a  like  faith;  nourish  that 
faith  by  reading  spiritual  books;  read  lives  of  the  saints  and 


254:  The  Healmg  of  the  Son  of  the  Buler. 

your  catechism;  but  above  all  avoid  wicked  books,  which  are 
written  to  undermine  the  faith  of  the  unwary. 

The  ruler  mentioned  in  the  Scripture  did  not  heed  the 
reprimand  which  Our  Lord  gave  him,  but  continued  to  pray 
that  Our  Lord  should  hasten  lest  the  ruler's  son  should  die. 
Here  we  see  the  constancy  of  prayer.  The  father  had  a  great 
desire  to  have  his  son  healed,  and  wthile  he  knew  Our  Lord 
could  do  it,  he  believed  that  if  he  continued  to  ask  his  peti- 
tion would  be  granted.  Such  also  should  be  our  prayers. 
Have  a  great  desire  to  do  something  for  the  greater  glory  of 
God  and  for  your  own  special  benefit  and  then  be  constant 
in  your  petitions.  How  cold  and  careless  our  young  people 
are  at  their  prayers!  They  have  no  spiritual  wants,  and 
therefore  they  lack  fervor;  they  realize  their  temporal  wants 
more  easily,  and  you  will  find  they  desire  them  more  fer- 
vently. How  few,  therefore,  are  there  who  throw  themselves 
before  the  altar  of  God  and  with  sincerity  and  fervor  say, 
"Lord,  save  my  soul."  How  few  are  there,  who,  knowing 
that  they  are  in  sin,  pray  with  fear  and  trembling:  "  Lord, 
my  soul  is  dead  in  Thy  sight;  make  me  live  again.  Thou  hast 
delivered  me  before  from  the  hands  of  the  devil;  deliver  me 
again.'*  How  few  young  people  are  there,  who  seeing  the 
frequency  with  which  they  fall  into  sin,  say  fervently  to  God, 
'^Lord,  do  Thou  keep  my  mind,  my  tongue  and  my  hands 
from  falling  into  sin;  give  me  the  grace  to  avoid  the  occa- 
sions of  it  and  of  those  companions  whom  I  follow  so  im- 
plicitly." Very  rarely  are  our  young  people  in  earnest  in 
their  prayers,  and  that  is  the  reason  that  they  find  sin  so 
agreeable,  and  follow  it  with  such  eagerness.  At  most 
they  say  a  few  "  Our  Fathers  "  and  "  Hail  Marys  "  with  such 
a  miserable  disposition  that  you  would  be  ashamed  to  call 
them  prayers.  They  speak  the  words  of  the  prayers  with  their 
lips,  but  not  with  the  desire  that  what  they  ask  for  may  be 
granted.  Will  such  young  people  grow  up  to  be  good  men 
and  women?  Will  they  continue  free  from  sin?  By  no  means. 
Without  the  grace  of  God,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  from  sin. 


Twentieth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  255 

and  yon  will  not  receive  this  grace  in  answer  to  such,  prayers. 
Let  us  then,  young  and  old,  with  real  fervor  raise  our  hearts 
to  God,  and  beg  especially  for  grace  tO'  be  freed  from  sin. 

When  the  ruler  had  again  made  his  demand,  Our  Lord 
said,  "  It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  come  down.  Go  thy 
way,  thy  son  liveth."  The  ruler  believed  the  words  of  Christ, 
and  thanking  Him  with  reverence  and  gratitude,  returned  to 
Capharnaum.  On  the  way  he  met  messengers  who  had  been 
sent  to  tell  him  that  his  son  lived.  He  asked  them  at  what 
hour  the  child  became  better,  and  they  told  him  at  the 
seventh  hour,  the  same  hour  at  which  Our  Lord  had  said, 
"  Go,  thy  son  liveth."  This  miracle  convinced  the  ruler  that 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God.  When  he  arrived  home  he  found 
every  one  rejoicing.  He  told  them  of  his  meeting  with  the 
Messias,  and  showed  them  clearly  that  the  healing  of  the 
child  was  due  to  Him.  All  were  convinced,  and  all  believed. 
Let  me,  my  dear  young  people,  make  just  one  more  remark: 
Why  did  this  pagan  ruler  go  to  Our  Lord?  By  what  means 
were  his  eyes  opened  to  the  faith?  It  was  certainly  by  his 
son's  danger.  It  was  the  grief  in  which  he  found  himself. 
This  trial,  which  to  all  appearances  made  him  unhappy,  was 
the  cause  of  his  joy.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  sickness  of  his 
son  he  would  not  have  thought  of  going  to  Christ;  he  would 
have  remained  in  his  unbelief,  and  he  would  not  have  em- 
braced the  faith.  This  should  teach  us  that  the  misfortunes 
of  this  life,  the  trials  which  we  sometimes  have  to  undergo, 
are  often  great  graces  which  Our  Lord  offers  us,  for  these 
trials  detach  our  hearts  from  earth,  raise  them  to  heaven,  and 
force  us  to  throw  ourselves  on  the  mercy  of  God.  St.  Gregory 
tells  us,  "  That  the  evils  that  oppress  us  force  us  to  go  to 
God.''  See  that  strong,  healthy  young  man;  he  enjoys  his 
youth  without  concern;  he  is  off  with  his  wicked  companions, 
to  lie  about  in  idleness,  to  commit  sin  without  remorse.  God 
strikes  him  with  sickness,  and  he  is  thrown  on  his  bed,  bat- 
tling for  his  life.  What  a  misfortune  that  a  young  man  in 
the  flower  of  Ms  youth  should  be  so  stricken!    Yes,  it  is  a 


256  The  Unforgiving  Servant  of  the  Ki/ng, 

great  misfortune  in  one  way,  but  looked  at  in  another  light, 
it  is  a  blessing.  He  sins  no  more;  he  has  time  to  think  that 
God  has  sent  this  affliction  to  make  him  better,  and  in  this 
way  he  is  put  on  the  path  to  heaven.  "A  great  sickness 
sobers  the  mind."  The  same  may  be  said  of  all  other  trials 
that  come  to  us.  Great  or  small,  they  are  all  graces  sent  to 
wake  us  up  to  a  new  life.  God  sends  us  trials  because  we 
are  dear  to  Him.  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth.  He  chastiseth." 
St.  Ignatius  says,  "If  God  makes  you  suffer  mueh,  it  is  a 
sign  that  He  wants  to  make  a  great  saint  of  you,  and  if  you 
wish  to  become  great  saints,  pray  God  that  He  may  let  you 
suffer  much."  If  you  find  that  God  sends  you  these  trials 
for  your  sins,  repent  of  them,  and  bear  the  suffering  with 
resignation.  If  you  know  that  you  are  as  good  as  you  can  be, 
and  still  you  suffer,  thank  God  for  it.  Remember  that  your 
crown  will  be  more  beautiful  when  the  time  of  your 
reward  has  come.  Do  not  forget  that  God  is  a  good  father, 
who  will  not  try  you  beyond  your  strength,  but  that  He, 
Himself,  with  His  great  consolations,  will  help  you  bear  the 
burden. 


TWENTY-FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt,  xviii.  23-35.  At  that  time  Jesus  spoke  to  his  dis- 
ciples this  parable:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  to  a  king  who 
would  take  an  account  of  his  servants.  And  when  he  had  begun  to 
take  the  account,  one  was  brought  to  him  that  owed  him  ten  thou- 
sand talents.  And  ae  he  had  not  wherewith  to  pay  it,  his  lord  com- 
manded that  he  should  be  sold,  and  his  wife  and  children,  and  all 
that  he  had,  and  payment  to  be  made.  But  that  servant  falling 
down,  besought  him,  saying:  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay 
thee  all.  And  the  lord  of  that  servant,  being  moved  with  pity,  let 
him  go,  and  forgave  him  the  debt.  But  when  that  servant  was  gone 
out,  he  found  one  of  his  fellow-servants  that  owed  him  a  hundred 
pence:  and  laying  hold  on  him,  he  throttled  him,  saying:  Pay  what 
thou  owest.  And  his  fellow-servant,  falling  down,  besought  him, 
sayiL.g:  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all.  And  he 
would  not:   but  went  and  cast  him  into  prison,  till  he  paid  the  debt. 


Twenty-first  ^nda/y  after  Pentecost,  257 

Now  his  fellow-servants,  seeing  what  waa  done,  were  very  much 
grieved,  and  they  came  and  told  their  lord  all  that  was  done.  Then 
his  lord  called  him:  and  said  to  him;  Thou  wicked  servant,  I  for- 
gave thee  all  the  debt,  because  thou  besoughtest  me:  shouldst  not 
thou  then  have  had  compassion  also  on  thy  fellow-servant,  even  as  I 
had  compassion  on  thee?  And  his  lord  being  angry,  delivered  him 
to  the  torturers  until  he  paid  all  the  debt.  So  also  shall  my  heavenly 
Father  do  to  you,  if  you  forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  from  your 
hearts. 

THE  FNPOKGIVING  SEEVANT  OP  THE  KING. 

EvEKY  rational  creature  has  to  give  an  account  of  his  ac- 
tions for  the  time  that  he  is  on  probation.  "We  human  beings 
are  in  this  world  on  probation,  and  when  this  life  is  over  we 
have  to  show  God  and  the  angels  of  heaven  that  we  have  lived 
commendable  lives.  To  prove  this  Our  Lord  spoke  this  par- 
able. Ten  thousand  talents  were  given  to  a  servant  by  his 
master,  that  he  might  make  use  of  them:  he  could  buy,  or  sell, 
or  lay  out  the  money  in  speculation  in  any  way  he  pleased. 
In  the  course  of  time,  he  forgot  that  he  was  a  servant,  and 
had  to  give  an  account  of  all  his  operations.  The  youth  of 
our  day  live  on  in  a  similar  way;  they  use  their  youth,  their 
body,  their  time  and  their  faculties  as  if  they  were  absolute 
masters  of  them,  and  had  not  to  give  an  account  to  God. 
Sometimes,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  they  recognize  the  fact 
that  they  are  burdened  with  a  tremendous  debt  which  they 
cannot  pay  off;  that  they  have  squandered  the  talents  that 
were  given  them;  for,  remember,  all  have  talents,  and  all 
have  to  make  return  for  the  outlay. 

In  the  case  of  the  servant  mentioned  in  the  Gospel  there 
was  no  return:  what  could  the  poor  miserable  man  do  but 
fall  down  before  his  creditor,  acknowledge  the  debt,  and  beg 
forgiveness  of  him  who  is  so  rich  that  he  will  not  feel  the 
loss  of  ten  thousand  talents.  "Have  patience  with  me," 
give  me  another  chance,  advance  more  talents  for  my  use, 
and  you  will  see  that  I  shall  do  better.  I  will  repay  the  debt, 
and  besides  show  a  great  gain.      0,  mj  dear  friends,  how 


258  The  Unforgiving  Servant  of  the  Kvng, 

serious  a  thing  life  is!  "What  are  your  obligations?  What 
talents  have  you  received?  You  are  preparing  for  your  first 
communion,  or  for  Confirmation  and  you  are  doing  so  hon- 
estly and  piously;  you  go  on  retreat,  review  your  whole  life, 
and  make  a  general  confession.  With  tears  you  acknowledge 
that  you  have  offended  God  grievously,  but  God  has  forgiven 
you,  and  the  memory  of  your  offences  is  blotted  out.  With 
a  light  heart,  thankful  that  you  escaped  so  easily,  you  go 
forth  to  your  accustomed  duties  in  the  world  where  you  meet 
many  fellow-servants  that  serve  the  great  Master  and  serve 
one  another  too.  You  meet  there  one  who  owes  you  a  few 
pennies,  w*ho  has  offended  you  but  slightly,  and  you  get  very 
angry  at  his  carelessness  in  not  returning  what  he  borrowed; 
you  take  him  by  the  throat  as  if  you  would  choke  him;  he 
begs  you  to  have  patience  with  him,  using  almost  the  same 
words  as  you  did  to  God.  But  you  demand  immediate  pay- 
ment, and  as  he  cannot  comply  with  your  demand,  you  have 
him  cast  into  prison. 

Many  have  obtained  the  pardon  of  their  sins  and  are  freed 
from  their  debts  by  the  great  Owner  Of  all  things;  they  have 
been  on  the  point  of  receiving  just  punishment,  but  by  their 
prayers  and  promises  of  doing  better  they  get  a  respite.  Per- 
verse beings  that  they  are,  they  do  wrong  again;  they  are  no 
better,  they  again  commit  the  very  sins  for  which  they  were 
called  to  account,  the  sins  which  have  been  pardoned. 

At  the  encounter  of  the  two  servants  mentioned  in  the 
Gospel,  where  one  treated  the  other  most  unmercifully,  there 
were  present  several  witnesses,  who  reported  the  case  to  the 
king.  The  king  reversed  the  sentence  against  the  debtor  of 
ten  thousand  talents,  and  inflicted  on  him  the  same  punish- 
ment which  he  had  meted  out  to  his  fellow-servant.  The 
conclusion  which  Our  Lord  Himself  drew  from  this  parable 
was,  that  His  heavenly  Father  would  do  in  a  like  manner  to 
every  one  who  did  not  forgive  his  brother  from  his  heart. 
Let  us  here  reflect  on  our  unwillingness  to  pardon  the  faults 
of  others.    Eemember  that  you  will  not  obtain  forgiveness 


Twenty -first  Sunday  a^ter  Pentecost,  259 

of  your  sins  imless  you  sincerely  forgive  your  neighlor.  Be- 
fore asking  the  forgiveness  of  our  own  faults,  let  us  fully 
pardon  our  neighbor,  and  not  keep  anything  in  our  heart 
against  him.  Nay,  you  must  do  even  more  if  you  would  fol- 
low out  the  mandates  of  Our  Lord,  for  He  has  said,  "  Love 
your  enemies;  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you/' 

In  the  king  w'ho  forgave  his  servant  that  enormous  sum  of 
money,  we  recognize  the  infinite  mercy  and  kindness  of  God; 
where  the  king  inflicts  great  punishment  on  his  servant  for 
his  cruelty,  we  see  the  justice  of  God.  Would  that  we  under- 
stood the  just  vengeance  of  God  on  those  who  abuse  His  good- 
ness. Knowing  His  infinite  mercy  do  we  not  frequently  com- 
mit sin  the  more  easily,  in  the  expectation  of  being  forgiven 
in  the  sacrament  of  confession?  You  confess  every  month, 
but  still  the  same  sins  are  told;  promises  are  made,  but  you 
fall  again  into  the  same  grievous  faults.  You  mock  the 
justice  of  God,  and  pretend  to  be  sorry,  and  then  multiply 
the  number  of  the  same  sins.  You  may  say  that  you  axe 
weak,  human  creatures  and  that  in  spite  of  all  your  good 
resolutions  you  fall  again  and  again.  Yes,  you  are  weak, 
because  you  are  slaves  to  certain  sins;  you  are  weak  because 
you  do  not  guard  your  eyes;  you  are  weak  because  you 
do  not  avoid  the  occasions  of  sin.  Just  there  lies  your 
weakness.  With  the  grace  of  God,  you  could  be  strong; 
stronger  than  your  passions:  you  would  also  be  made  stronger 
by  prayer,  and  by  going  to  the  sacraments  more  frequently. 

St.  Anthony  the  abbot  once  saw  a  whole  legion  of  devils  ad- 
vancing upon  him  to  frighten  him  by  its  numbers.  '^  Why," 
asked  he,  ^'  do  you  come  in  such  crowds  against  a  poor,  mis- 
erable man,  when  one  of  you  could  easily  overcome  him?  All 
the  powers  of  hell  cannot  affect  me  in  the  least  if  I  am  forti- 
fied by  the  grace  of  God;  therefore,  I  fear  you  not,  because  I 
know  that  the  Lord  will  fight  my  battles  for  me;  I  despise 
you  all."  And  with  his  staff  he  drove  the  infernal  multitude 
away. 

St.  Teresa,  inspired  by  divine  love,  used  to  say:   "I  feel 


260  The  Unforgivmg  Servant  of  the  King. 

no  fear  when  I  can  say,  ^  My  God,  my  God,  I  am  afraid/  '* 
When  St.  Martin  was  on  his  death-bed,  the  devil  appeared 
to  him.  "What  are  you  doing  here,  impure  beast?"  asked 
the  saint.  "  You  will  find  nothing  in  me  that  belongs  to  me; 
the  bosom  of  Abraham  will  be  my  resting-place."  This  is 
the  way  to  be  strong:  strong  in  the  confidence  and  help  of 
almighty  God. 

My  dear  young  friends,  how  great  are  our  debts  to 
almighty  God!  Many  of  us  can  say,  "  So  young,  and  still  so 
great  a  sinner! "  What  a  tremendous  debt  does  that  young 
person  owe  to  almighty  God,  who  curses,  steals,  and  is  diso- 
bedient; who  drinks  to  excess  and  commits  shameful  crimes. 
Fall  of  confusion  for  the  debt  which  you  have  contracted, 
beg  that  you  may  be  spared  until  the  whole  be  paid;  but  be 
sure  not  to  burden  your  soul  again,  as  God  is  not  only  good 
and  merciful,  but  He  is  also  just.  St.  Augustine  sa3rs  that 
God^s  forgiveness  is  limited.  Judas  publicly  confessed  his 
sin  of  betraying  Our  Lord,  saying,  "  I  have  sinned  in  betray- 
ing innocent  blood."  He  carried  back  to  the  higth  priest  the 
money  he  had  received  for  the  vile  act,  and  falling  into  de- 
spair, went  and  hanged  himself. 

Now  is  the  time  of  your  salvation.  If  your  sins  be  as  numer- 
ous as  the  sands  on  the  seashore  God  is  willing  to  forgive  you. 
Who  knows  whether  God  will  forgive  your  future  sins?  How 
many  are  now  in  hell  who  committed  only  one  mortal  sin! 
There  is  a  story  told  of  a  young  man  who  lived  an  angelic 
life.  But  one  day  he  heard  one  of  his  companions  tell  of  a 
shameful  sin  and  he  felt  a  desire  to  commit  it  at  the  first  op- 
portunity that  presented  itself;  that  night  in  his  sleep  he 
burst  a  blood-vessel  and  died.  His  confessor  consoled  the 
father  of  the  boy,  and  told  him  he  need  have  no  fear,  for  the 
young  man  had  led  such  a  good  life  that  he  was  sure  he  had 
gone  straight  to  heaven.  The  following  night  the  soul  of  the 
youth  appeared  to  his  confessor,  and  said,  "  Do  not  pray  for 
me,  for  I  am  damned;  your  prayers  avail  me  nothing."  "  How 
is  that?  "  asked  the  priest.    "  I  went  regularly  to  confession/^ 


Twenty -second  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  261 

lie  answered,  "  but  the  day  before  yesterday,  I  consented  in 
my  mind  to  a  revolting  sin,  and  resolved  to  commit  it  at  the 
first  opportunity.  For  that  one  sin  I  am  in  hell."  Whether 
this  ever  happened  cannot  be  proven,  but  the  principles  of  the 
condemnation  are  correct.  Let  the  sins  of  the  past  be  enough 
for  us,  that  past  life  so  Badly  spent!  It  is  time  that  we 
stopped  the  insults  we  have  heaped  on  God's  majesty.  Let  us 
say  with  St.  Margaret  of  Cortona:  "  My  Jesus,  I  have  com- 
mitted up  to  this  time  sins  enough;  give  me  the  grace  here- 
after never  to  commit  any  more." 

Thus  the  great  King,  our  God,  whose  servants  we  are,  will 
^pardon  us  our  faults  when  He  asks  us  in  the  confessional  for 
an  accounting.  He  will  forget  what  we  owe  Him,  and  will 
Istill  consider  us  His  faithful  servants.  And  at  the  great  judg- 
ment He  will  ratify  His  decision  and  will  bring  us  to  our 
heavenly  reward. 

TWENTY-SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTEE  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xxii.  15-21.  At  that  time  the  Pharisees  going,  con- 
sulted among  themselves  how  to  ensnare  Jesus  in  his  speech.  And 
they  sent  to  him  their  disciples  with  the  Herodians,  saying:  Master, 
we  know  that  thou  art  a  true  speaker,  and  teachest  the  way  of  God 
in  truth,  neither  carest  thou  for  any  man:  for  thou  dost  not  regard 
the  person  of  men:  tell  us  therefore  what  dost  thou  think.  Is  it 
lawful  to  give  tribute  to  Csesar,  or  not?  But  Jesus,  knowing  their  wick- 
edness, said:  Why  do  you  tempt  me,  ye  hypocrites?  Show  me  the 
coin  of  the  tribute.  And  they  offered  him  a  penny.  And  Jesus  saith 
to  them:  Whose  image  and  inscription  is  this?  They  say  to  him: 
Csesar's.  Then  he  saith  to  them:  Render  therefore  to  Caesar  the 
things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's. 

THE   LEGALITY   OF   THE   TKIBUTE  TO   C^SAR. 

Though  the  Pharisees  often  heard  the  instructions  of  Our 
Lord,  they  never  drew  any  benefit  from  them.  On  this  day 
they  came  to  Our  Lord,  and  proposed  this  question  to  Him, 
^\  Tell  us,  what  dost  Thou  think.    Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute 


262  The  Legality  of  the  Tribute  to  Cossa/r. 

to  CaBsar,  or  not? ''  In  this  way,  instead  of  trying  to  learn 
something  of  benefit  to  their  souls,  they  became  more  blind. 
They  were  full  of  hatred  of  Our  Lord,  and  full  of  jealousy 
because  the  people  considered  Him  a  prophet,  and  their  in- 
tention was  to  destroy  the  respect  whidh  the  multitude  had 
for  Him.  Here  was  a  question  which  they  thought  would 
certainly  lead  Our  Lord  into  their  meshes.  "  Is  it  lawful  to 
give  tribute  to  Caesar?  "  The  Jews  hated  the  Eoman  dominion 
over  them;  they  were  a  downtrodden  race,  and  were  obliged 
to  furnish  a  throne  and  money  for  the  Eoman  governor,  while 
their  religion  was  in  confusion;  and  sometimes  two  high- 
priests  were  contending  for  the  chief  office.  So  the  Pharisees 
said  to  themselves,  "  If  this  man  consents  to  pay  tribute  to 
Caesar  he  will  be  hated  by  the  people;  and  if  on  the  contrary 
he  disapproves  of  it,  the  government  will  have  a  case  against 
him  for  inciting  the  people  to  resist  lawful  authority.^'  Jesus 
confounded  the  Pharisees  by  His  divine  wisdom.  ^^  Why  do 
you  tempt  Me,  ye  hypocrites  ? ''  He  asked.  You  have  a  very 
bad  reason  for  this  question — you  are  not  honest.  Our  Lord 
was  affable  and  kind  to  the  greatest  sinners  who  came  to  Him 
in  the  sincerity  of  their  hearts;  but  with  these  double-faced 
Pharisees  He  had  no  patience.  He  called  them  vipers,  im- 
postors, whitened  sepulchres,  fair  without,  but  most  loathsome 
within.  Does  not  Our  Lord  teach  us  here  the  hatefulness  of 
the  vice  of  hypocrisy,  and  how  He  detested  it? 

My  dear  young  friends,  there  are  hypocrites  among  Chris- 
tians, among  our  youth.  Many  young  people  wish  to  appear 
like  angels  in  the  eyes  of  their  superiors;  before  their  parents 
they  are  careful  not  to  say  a  bad  word,  while  with  their  com- 
panions they  do  and  say  most  scandalous  things.  They  hide 
their  sins  so  carefully  that  no  one  suspects  them  of  any  wick- 
edness: even  in  the  confessional  they  do  not  make  known 
their  great  sins,  and  deceive  the  priest,  the  minister  of  God. 
There  are  hypocrites  everywhere;  in  the  sanctuary,  in  the 
choir,  in  sodalities,  in  the  church,  and  at  the  sacraments. 
Never  pretend  to  a  devotion  that  you  have  not — ^it  is  disgust- 


Twenty -second  Bunday  after  Pentecost,  263 

ing.  Be  not  servers  of  the  eye  of  man,  but  serve  God  in  all 
sincerity.  Men  may  praise  you  for  your  piety,  honesty,  and 
truthfulness,  but  God  sees  deep  into  the  heart;  you  do  not 
deceive  God.  You  may  gain  some  temporal  advantages  by 
deceiving  men,  but  God's  time  for  punishment  will  come,  and 
then  to  your  shame,  your  hypocrisy  will  be  made  manifest  to 
the  world.  We  read  in  Job  that,  "  dissemblers  and  crafty  men 
provoke  the  wrath  of  God.'' 

"  Show  me  the  coin  of  the  tribute,"  said  Our  Lord.  "  Whose 
image  and  inscription  is  this?"  He  asked.  They  answered, 
"  Caesar's."  Then  He  said,  "  Eender,  therefore,  to  Caesar  the 
things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  to  God  the  things  that  axe  God's." 
The  Pharisees  were  struck  with  the  wisdom  of  the  reply,  and 
must  have  been  covered  with  shame  before  the  assembled 
multitude.  St.  Bonaventure  asserts  that  this  coin  represents 
the  soul  of  man,  impressed  with  the  image  of  God.  A  precious 
thing,  of  great  value,  is  the  soul  in  the  eyes  of  God,  and  it 
derives  its  value  from  the  blood  of  Christ.  Our  soul,  my  dear 
young  friends,  when  gifted  with  the  grace  of  the  Eedeemer 
is  a  most  beautiful  object;  it  is  an  angel  hidden  in  a  body  of 
flesh,  a  beautiful  spirit,  radiant  with  thought  and  understand- 
ing. A  soul  in  mortal  sin  has  impressed  on  it  the  image  of 
the  devil.  ^'What  has  become  of  me?"  St.  Augustine  asks. 
''My  soul,  whither  have  your  sins  led  you?"  That  bright 
image  of  God  which  was  on  you  is  there  no  longer;  all  is 
changed.  "  How  has  the  gold  changed  its  color! "  Bewail 
your  condition,  my  dear  young  people,  if  you  should  find  your- 
selves in  a  state  of  sin.  St.  Jerome  says,  most  lamentingly, 
"  This  I  bewail,  that  you  do  not  feel  that  you  are  dead;  this 
I  bewail,  that  you  do  not  sorrow  for  yourselves." 

Yes,  young  people  who  are  in  sin  ought  to  weep  continu- 
ally; 2ii  night  instead  of  closing  their  eyes  in  sleep,  they  ought 
to  keep  them  open  to  shed  tears;  they  ought  not  be  able 
to  eat,  play  or  study, — so  great  should  be  their  concern.  But 
do  they  weep?  Oh  no!  these  miserable  blind  beings  enjoy 
themselves,  and  never  stop  to  think  that  God  hates  them.  Oh, 


264  The  Legality  of  the  Tribute  to  Ccesei/r. 

raise  your  eyes  to  tlie  crucified  Saviour,  see  His  thom-crowned 
head — ^has  He  not  sacrificed  it  for  your  soul?  Those  blood- 
stained eyes,  those  colorless  lips,  those  hands  pierced  with 
nails,  those  feet  cruelly  wounded  and  that  side  opened  by  a 
lance — did  He  not  sacrifice  all  for  our  salvation?  Are  you 
going  to  allow  His  sacred  Passion  to  be  wasted  so  far  as  you 
are  concerned?  Jesus  has  purchased  you  with  His  blood,  and 
you  are  His  if  you  remain  faithful  to  Him.  "  Take  great  care 
of  your  souls,"  and  Jesus  will  be  satisfied  with  His  purchase 
and  will  not  consider  His  Passion  too  great  a  price  for  your 
soul. 

^'  Give  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's.'^  Let  us,  for  a 
moment,  think  of  this.  What  do  we  owe  God,  that  we  must 
give  Him  ?  To  God  we  owe  honor  and  glory.  Do  we  give  this 
glory  to  God?  Do  we  not  give  honor  rather  to  men,  to  those 
especially  who  hold  positions  of  dignity.  When  you  enter  the 
magnificent  palace  of  the  millionaire,  how  well-dressed  you 
are,  what  politeness  you  assume,  so  that  people  may  consider 
you  well-bred;  you  tiptoe  up  the  hall  and  in  a  humble  whis- 
per ask  the  servant  to  take  in  your  card,  to  see  whether 
you  may  be  admitted;  should  you  have  the  happiness  of 
an  audience,  you  hardly  speak  aloud  and  you  put  your  de- 
mands in  the  most  honeyed  words.  If  such  is  our  respect  for 
men,  what  is  not  due  to  almighty  God  from  a  human  being? 
Give  to  God,  therefore,  a  little  of  the  respect  which  you  show 
to  creatures. 

God  does  not  wish  for  a  false  respect.  He  wishes  you  to 
be  free,  gracious,  and  spontaneous  in  your  worship  of  Him; 
to  assume  a  pious  attitude  in  church  because  you  are  watched 
is  not  a  worship  of  God;  to  say  your  prayers  night  and  morn- 
ing for  form's  sake,  or  because  your  parents  insist  on  it,  is 
hardly  to  be  considered  meritorious;  for  it  is  an  unwilling 
prayer.  Does  God  consider  these  acts  worthy  of  Him  when 
they  are  forced  from  you?  He  will  not  look  at  them  with 
pleasure.  He  will  say  to  you  as  He  said  to  the  Jews  of  old, 
"You  celebrate  great  feasts,  and  hold  certain  days  solemn,  but 


Twenty-third  ISunday  after  Pentecost,  265 

they  are  not  My  feasts,  they  are  yours,  because  you  want  them 
for  your  own  purposes  and  not  for  My  glory;  they  excite  My 
indignation  but  not  My  mercy  toward  you/'  This  forced 
devotion  is  similar  to  the  mock  adoration  which  the  Jews  and 
soldiers  offered  Our  Lord  in  the  hall  of  Pilate's  palace,  when 
they  said,  "  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews!  "  and  made  genuflections 
before  Him;  and  at  the  cross,  when  the  Jews  cried  out:  "  Let 
Him  now  come  down  from  the  cross  and  we  will  believe  Him." 
God  looks  at  the  heart.  He  pays  little  attention  to  our  ex- 
terior actions;  a  good,  strong,  fervent,  cordial  intention  is  as 
good  in  the  eye  of  God  as  is  the  execution  of  the  noblest  hu- 
man action.  Give  then  to  God  the  honor  and  glory  that  are 
due  to  Him;  there  is  no  need  to  force  the  youth  who  is  in 
earnest  to  honor  God  in  church,  or  when  he  hears  Mass  or 
goes  to  the  sacraments;  he  does  it  of  his  own  free  will  and 
with  the  greatest  devotion.  Yes,  my  dear  young  people,  give 
to  God  that  honor,  freely,  not  through  routine  or  custom. 
With  a  great  heart,  give  glory  to  God.  Serve  Him  with  a 
great  heart,  joyfully  and  with  alacrity,  and  then  you  can  say 
with  truth  that  you  have  given  to  God  the  things  that  are 
God's. 


TWENTY-THIRD   SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  ix.  18-26.  At  that  time  as  Jesus  was  speaking  these 
things  unto  them,  behold  a  certain  ruler  came  up  and  adored  him, 
saying:  Lord,  my  daughter  is  even  now  dead:  but  come,  lay  thy 
hand  upon  her,  and  she  shall  live.  And  Jesus  rising  up,  followed 
him  with  his  disciples.  And  behold  a  woman  who  was  troubled  with 
an  issue  of  blood  twelve  years,  came  behind  him,  and  touched  the 
hem  of  his  garment.  For  she  said  within  herself:  If  I  shall  touch 
only  his  garment,  I  shall  be  healed.  But  Jesus  turning  and  seeing 
her,  said:  Be  of  good  heart,  daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. 
And  the  woman  was  made  whole  from  that  hour.  And  when  Jesus 
was  come  into  the  house  of  the  ruler,  and  saw  the  minstrels  and  the 
multitude  making  a  rout,  he  said:  Give  place,  for  the  girl  is  not 
dead  but  sleepeth.  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  And  when  the 
multitude  was  put  forth,  he  went  in:    and  took  her  by  the  hand. 


^66  The  Raising  to  lAfe  of  the  Daughter  of  Jairus. 

And  the  maid  arose.    And  the  fame  hereof  went  abroad  into  all  that 
country. 

THE   RAISING  TO  LIFE   OF  THE   DAUGHTER  OF  JAIRUS. 

Just  before  the  facts  related  in  this  Grospel  took  place,  Our 
Lord  had  been  defending  Himself  against  the  attacks  of  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees.  These  people  did  not  love  Our  Lord, 
because  He  would  not  adopt  their  ways  of  thinking  and  act- 
ing; He  had  not  joined  or  supported  them  in  their  preten- 
sions; they  thought  it  was  wrong  for  Our  Lord  to  eat  with 
publicans  and  sinners,  and  His  disciples  did  not  keep  the  fasts 
which  were  prescribed.  And  another  abomination  these  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  were  guilty  of:  they  did  not  wash  their  hands 
before  they  ate  bread. 

The  daughter  of  Jairus  had  just  died.  The  father  came 
in  haste  to  Our  Lord,  and  begged  Him  to  resuscitate  her.  Our 
Lord  might  have  denied  his  petition,  for  Jairus  was  a  Pharisee, 
and  was  the  very  one  that  got  so  angry  because  the  divine 
Master  had  been  working  miracles  on  the  Sabbath-day.  Our 
Lord  might  have  remembered  all  those  insults,  and  denied 
the  ruler's  request;  but  the  heart  of  Jesus  is  great  and  loving 
even  to  the  ungrateful.  Our  Lord  shows  us  the  same  love, 
though  we  often  deserve  punishment.  Lo,  there  is  a  youth 
who  falls  into  a  very  serious  fault,  and  becomes  the  enemy 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Would  not  he  deserve  to  be  punished  at  once 
for  his  treason?  But,  no.  Our  Lord  waits  for  him,  has 
patience,  coaxes  and  threatens,  until  there  is  a  change — 
either  confirmed  obstinacy  in  sin,  or  a  conversion. 

While  Our  Lord  was  proceeding  to  the  house  of  Jairus  a 
great  crowd  followed  Him;  they  knew  what  He  was  about  to 
do  and  they  wanted  to  be  witnesses  of  this  great  miracle.  Our 
Lord  was  closely  pressed  on  all  sides,  and  behold!  secretly  a 
poor,  sick  woman  made  her  way  to  Him,  and  touched  the 
hem  of  His  garment.  She  said  to  herself  with  fafth  and 
confidence:  ^^If  I  can  only  get  near  enough  to  toucih  Him 
I  will  be  healed;   it  will  not  be  necessary  to  claim  His  ex- 


Twenty 'third  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  267 

elusive  attention.  A  touch  will  do."  So  with  great  difficulty 
she  pressed  forward  through  the  crowd;  she  was  just  able  to 
touch  the  hem  of  His  garment,  and  with  that  she  was  healed. 
But  Our  Lord  did  not  wish  that  this  great  act  of  faith  should 
go  unnoticed,  for  it  might  serve  as  an  example  to  others.  Our 
Lord  turned  around  and  asked  who  had  touched  Him. 
^'Master,"  said  the  people,  "you  see  the  great  crowd  that 
surrounds  you,  and  you  ask  who  has  touched  you?  "  "  Yes," 
said  Our  Lord,  "  somebody  touched  Me,  for  I  felt  the  healing 
virtue  go  from  Me."  In  the  meanwhile  the  poor  woman,  as 
if  she  had  done  something  wrong,  acknowledged  what  she  had 
done,  and  Our  Lord  said,  "  Be  of  good  heart,  daughter;  thy 
faith  hath  made  thee  whole."  Faith  in  Christ  is  very  power- 
ful; humble  faith  in  Him  will  not  be  disappointed. 

If  the  simple  touch  of  Our  Lord's  garment  could  work  such 
a  miracle,  what  should  not  the  reception  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Our  Lord  do  for  us  when  we  receive  Jesus  Christ 
into  our  hearts?  What  do  we  expect,  what  good  shall  we 
derive  from  this  intimate  relationship,  what  benefit  will  we 
obtain  in  holy  communion?  St.  Mary  Magdalen  of  Pazzi  used 
to  say  that  one  communion,  properly  made,  is  enoug*h  to  make 
a  saint.  But  how  many  communions  does  it  take  to  make 
saints  of  us!  How  slow  is  our  improvement  because  it  is  not 
with  a  lively  faith  that  we  eat  this  bread  of  angels.  No,  we 
do  not  realize  that  this  is  Jesus,  the  good  Master,  before  whom 
we  ought  to  sink  down  and  say,  "  My  Lord  and  my  God! " 
Purify  your  heart  from  all  sin  with  earnestness;  dispose  your 
soul  to  be  humble  with  love,  and  you  will  obtain  great  benefit 
from  your  communions. 

My  dear  young  friends,  approach  Our  Lord  and  touch  the 
hem  of  His  garment,  not  like  the  crowd  that  jostled  Him, 
but  like  that  poor  afflicted  woman.  Touch  Our  Lord  as  St. 
Philip  Neri  did,  who  often  at  the  elevation  of  the  Host  and 
sacred  chalice,  held  the  consecrated  species  as  high  as  he 
could  reach  and  held  it  there  until  his  arms  were  tired.  In 
consuming  the  sacred  blood,  he  drained  every  drop  from  the 


268  The  Raising  to  Life  of  the  Daughter  of  Jairus, 

chalice  in  such  ecstasy  that  after  his  communion  he  was  totally 
bereft  of  his  senses  and  only  after  a  long  time  came  to  him- 
self again.  Touch  Our  Lord  as  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna  did, 
whose  consolation  at  communion  was  so  great  that  she  rel- 
ished no  joy  like  it,  and  such  strength  did  she  derive  from 
communion  that  for  weeks  she  took  no  other  food.  The  day 
on  which  she  did  not  go  to  communion  seemed  to  her  a  lost 
day  on  earth.  Touch  Him  in  holy  communion  like  Juliana 
Veronica  did  when  at  ten  years  of  age  she  made  her  first 
communion;  she  felt  her  soul  all  inflamed  with  the  sacred 
presence,  and  as  sihe  could  not  account  for  it,  in  her  simplicity 
she  asked  the  Sisters  if  this  was  always  the  effect  of  com- 
munion. Sometimes  she  saw  the  sacred  species  shining  bright 
as  a  star.  An  acquaintance  of  mine,  a  very  pious  old  man, 
once  said  to  me,  *'  Father,  I  am  afraid  to  go  to  communion 
every  day,  because  I  am  not  worthy,  but  unless  I  go,  I  feel 
that  something  is  wrong."  0,  lively  and  ardent  faith!  a  clear 
proof  that  Our  Lord  is  present  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
"  He  who  eats  this  bread  shall  live  forever." 

When  Our  Lord  arrived  at  the  house  of  the  ruler  of  the 
synagogue,  he  found  there  a  great  crowd  of  people — as  is 
customary  on  such  sad  occasions,  and  they  were  making  great 
lamentations.  He  put  them  all  out  of  the  room  and  told 
them  to  give  up  these  lamentations,  for  the  girl  "  is  not  dead, 
but  sleepeth."  Our  Lord  then  went  in  and  closed  the  door. 
He  wished  to  perform  this  miracle  without  witnesses.  Any 
one  that  wanted  glory  from  such  an  action,  if  he  could  do  ft, 
would  have  said,  "  Now  my  dear  people,  see  she  is  dead.  As- 
sure yourselves  of  the  fact;  feel  whether  there  is  a  pulse  or 
any  sign  of  life."  The  humble  Jesus  did  not  do  this.  The  girl 
was  dead  indeed,  but  her  death  was  to  be  of  such  short  dura- 
tion that  it  was  but  a  sleep.  He  was  there  with  His  almighty 
power  to  wake  her  up.  The  proud  people  of  this  world  wish 
their  good  actions  to  be  known  by  everybody,  and  the  praise 
of  the  deed  must  be  in  the  mouth  of  all. 

Another  lesson  that  Our  Lord  wanted  to  teach  us  i^,  that 


Twenty -third  SundoAf  after  Pentecost,  269 

His  followers  that  depart  this  life  axe  not  dead,  but  asleep  in 
the  Lord,  and  this  is  the  reason  that  the  Church  has  adopted 
such  expressions  as  "  He  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord '';  "  Lazarus, 
our  friend,  sleeps/'  These  expressions  are  taken  from  the 
Scriptures  and  designate  the  view  the  Holy  Ghost  takes  of  the 
death  of  the  faithful. 

This  peace  of  which  the  dead  are  in  possession  becomes 
the  share  of  the  just  on  this  earth.  Nothing  afflicts  them. 
If  they  have  committed  sins,  they  know  that  the  blood  of 
Christ  has  washed  them  away,  and  that  God  considers  them 
no  longer;  they  care  not  for  the  world  nor  its  honors,  and 
when  they  do  not  have  them  they  are  not  disturbed.  **  The 
world  is  crucified  to  them."  They  are  happy  to  depart  from 
this  world,  like  the  prisoner  who  is  glad  to  escape  from  con- 
finement; happy  that  the  chains  of  their  slavery  to  the  things 
of  this  earth  are  struck  off.  They  rejoice  that  heaven  is  so 
near.  The  just  man  does  not  fear  the  future,  because  he  is 
sure  of  the  mercy  of  God;  be  thinks  of  God,  speaks  of  God 
and  awaits  His  call.  There  is  nothing  sad  about  the  death  of  a 
good  man,  when  viewed  in  the  proper  light;  though  oppressed 
with  misfortune  there  is  real  happiness  in  his  face  and  joy- 
fulness  in  his  actions;  all  the  dark  thoughts  disappear  when 
he  takes  the  crucifix  in  his  hands,  embraces  it,  and  invokes 
the  name  of  Jesus  and  of  our  Mother  Mary.  He  is  sure  of 
heaven.  St.  Edmund  had  a  great  devotion  to  Mary  from  his 
childhood;  when  near  death  he  said:  ^^  How  beautiful  it  is  to 
die  in  the  protection  of  Mary,  of  whom  I  never  asked  any- 
thing but  it  was  granted."  What  a  happiness  is  it  to  the 
dying  man  when  the  sacrament  of  love,  the  Holy  Eucharist,  is 
brought  to  him  for  his  last  food,  his  viaticum,  to  give  him 
strength  for  that  great  journey  to  an  unknown  world,  to  re- 
ceive that  Jesus  who  has  been  so  often  his  comfort  in  life;  in 
a  short  time  he  will  see  that  same  Jesus  in  heaven,  no  longer 
hidden  under  the  sacramental  veil.  In  this  manner  the 
Church  with  its  sacraments  comforts  her  faithful  followers, 
detaches  them  gently  from  the  things  of  this  world,  and  raises 


270  The  Raising  to  Life  of  the  Daughter  of  Jairus, 

their  minds  and  their  hearts  to  heaven  and  God.  Could  not 
the  dying  Christian  say  to  his  weeping  friends  that  surround 
his  death-bed:  "  0  how  beautiful  heaven  is,  how  magnificent 
is  its  glory!  And  you,  my  friends,  do  not  wish  me  to  go  there! 
You  would  rather  keep  me  in  this  exile.     Give  me  heaven." 

A  hermit  was  once  at  the  point  of  death,  and  he  spoke  in 
this  manner,  to  the  edification  of  all:  "  I  thank  you,  my  eyes, 
for  the  services  you  have  done  me  in  my  life,  for  you  have 
been  fountains  of  tears  for  my  sins.  Now  look  up  to  heaven, 
close  to  the  things  of  this  earth;  my  hands,  I  thank  you  for 
having  helped  in  the  castigation  of  my  body.  Now  you  shall 
do  glorious  things  for  God  in  heaven.  Blessed  lips,  hereafter 
praise  God  in  heaven." 

Do  you,  my  dear  young  people,  wish  to  die  the  death  of  the 
just?  Then  live  well;  it  is  not  possible  to  come  to  a  good 
death  through  a  bad  life,  unless  by  a  miracle,  and  miracles  are 
very  rare.  St.  Paul,  the  first  hermit,  prayed  day  and  night 
on  his  knees  and,  as  a  reward,  was  found  dead  in  the  same 
position.  Many  of  you  are  still  innocent;  what  a  beautiful 
death  yours  will  be,  if  you  remain  so  to  the  end  of  your  lives! 
Innocence  is  beautiful  in  the  eyes  of  God.  If  you  wish  to 
preserve  that  innocence,  pray  much.  Have  recourse  to  the 
eacraments,  and  have  a  tender  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
She  will  assist  you  now,  and  at  the  hour  of  your  death.  Now, 
as  a  conclusion  to  this  sermon,  as  well  as  at  the  conclusion 
of  your  life,  make  one  great  sacrifice,  one  great  resolution 
that  will  do  you  good  and  be  a  glory  to  God;  that  is  to 
be  faithful  to  your  holy  religion  in  all  its  laws  and  practices, 
and  you  will  close  your  eyes  in  peace,  and  your  death  will  be 
precious  in  the  sight  of  God;  then  all  evil  and  all  temptation 
mil  be  over,  and  you  will  be  in  the  possession  of  God. 


Twenty -fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  271 


TWENTY-FOUETH   SUNDAY   AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel.  Matt.  xxiv.  15-35.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
When  you  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  which  was  spoken 
of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  standing  in  the  holy  place,  he  that  readeth 
let  him  understand:  then  they  that  are  in  Judea,  let  them  flee  to  the 
mountains.  And  he  that  is  on  the  house-top,  let  him  not  come  down 
to  take  anything  out  of  his  house:  and  he  that  is  in  the  field,  let 
him  not  go  back  to  take  his  coat.  A^d  wo  to  them  that  are  with 
child,  and  that  give  suck  in  those  days.  But  pray  that  your  flight 
be  no^  in  the  winter,  or  on  the  sabbath:  for  there  shall  be  then  great 
tribulation,  such  as  hath  not  been  from  the  beginning  of  the  world 
until  now,  neither  shall  be.  And  unless  those  days  had  been  short- 
ened, no  flesh  should  be  saved:  but  for  the  sake  of  the  elect  those 
days  shall  be  shortened.  Then  if  any  man  shall  say  to  you:  Lo  here 
is  Christ,  or  there,  do  not  believe  him.  For  there  shall  arise  false 
Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs  and  wonders, 
insomuch  as  to  deceive  (if  possible)  even  the  elect.  Behold  I 
have  told  it  to  you  beforehand.  If  therefore  they  shall  say  to 
you:  Behold  he  is  in  the  desert:  go  ye  not  out:  Behold  he 
is  in  the  closets,  believe  it  not.  For  as  lightning  cometh  out  of  the 
east,  and  appeareth  even  unto  the  west:  so  shall  also  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man  be.  Wheresoever  the  body  shall  be,  there  shall  the 
eagles  also  be  gathered  together.  And  immediately  after  the  tribula- 
tion of  those  days,  the  sun  shall  be  darkened  and  the  moon  shall  not 
give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers 
of  the  heavens  shall  be  moved.  And  then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the 
Son  of  man  in  heaven:  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth 
mourn:  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven  with  much  power  and  majesty.  And  he  shall  send  his  angels 
with  a  trumpet,  and  a  great  voice:  and  they  shall  gather  together 
his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  farthest  parts  of  the  heavens 
to  the  utmost  bounds  of  them.  And  from  the  fig-tree  learn  a  parable : 
when  the  branch  thereof  is  now  tender,  and  the  leaves  come  forth, 
you  know  that  summer  is  nigh.  So  you  also,  when  you  shall  see  all 
these  things,  know  ye  that  it  is  nigh,  even  at  the  doors.  Amen  I  say 
to  you,  that  this  generation  shall  not  pass,  till  all  these  things  be 
done.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not 
pass  away. 

THE   END  OP   THE   WORLD. 

The  Apostles  had  asked  Our  Lord  concerning  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  so  important  did  it  ap- 


272  The  End  of  the  World. 

pear,  that  He  made  them  understand,  that,  to  a  certain  degree, 
it  was  the  foreshadowing  of  the  end  of  the  world.  The  catas- 
trophe which  is  to  destroy  this  world  and  all  its  inhabitants 
must  certainly  be  fearful,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
was  a  foreboding  of  it.  The  great  sign  which  is  to  show  that 
the  end  is  near,  is  that  there  is  to  be  abomination  in  the  Tem- 
ple itself.  When  any  one,  then,  stands  in  the  holy  place  and 
sees  that  filth,  neglect  and  dishonor  has  come  upon  it  he  may 
conclude  that  the  end  is  near. 

By  this  abomination  of  desolation  in  the  holy  place  is  un- 
derstood literally,  the  profanation  of  the  Temple.  A  multi- 
tude of  soldiers  rushed  into  the  sacred  precincts,  and  with  fire 
and  sword  destroyed  everything.  Many  were  killed  there 
and  the  court  of  the  Temple,  a  refuge  and  a  place  of 
safety  for  the  persecuted,  flowed  with  blood.  Jerusalem 
had  become  a  picture  of  hell.  A  furious  army  besieged 
the  city,  and  terrible  famine  was  the  consequence;  men  tore 
one  another  like  dogs:  for  after  having  fought  the  Romans, 
dissensions  arrayed  them  against  one  another,  and  soon  their 
blood-stained  swords  were  turned  to  fratricidal  slaughter. 
Mothers  forgot  their  motherly  feelings  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  consumed  their  own  children  for  food;  those  who  made 
an  effort  to  escape  were  caught  to  the  number  of  five  hundred 
a  day,  and  were  crucified  before  the  gates  of  the  city.  This 
terrible  spectacle,  however,  did  not  frighten  them,  for  not- 
withstanding it,  many  attempted  to  get  out  in  order  to  look 
for  a  little  food.  Outside  the  walls  of  the  city  it  looked  like 
a  forest  of  crosses.  Such  was  the  terrible  judgment  against 
this  city:  Many  died  on  crosses  as  a  punishment  for  the 
crucifixion  of  Our  Lord. 

The  Fathers  of  the  Church  who  have  explained  this  part  of 
the  Scriptures  say  that  by  the  abomination  of  desolation  is 
meant  mortal  sin.  Our  body,  as  the  Apostle  tells  us,  is  the 
temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  God  wishes  to  inhabit  it.  He 
wants  to  make  a  holy  of  holies  of  our  bodies  and  souls.  What 
would  you  think  of  a  sacrilegious  thief  who  would  come  into 


Twenty -fov/rih  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  273 

the  church  and  despoil  the  tabernacle  and  defile  the  holy 
altar?  What  a  profanation  it  would  be  considered  to  scatter 
the  consecrated  Host  torn  from  its  resting-place  by  sacrileg- 
ious hands.  Would  we  not  be  furious  at  such  a  desecration? 
We  would  be  indignant,  and  would  want  to  punish  the  culprit 
severely;  and  yet  this  is  what  that  one  does  who  desecrates 
his  own  soul.  He  drives  Our  Lord  Jesus  out  of  'his  heart, 
takes  hold  of  Him  and  forces  Him  out  like  an  intruder.  He 
has  to  yield  His  place  to  the  devil.  What  a  change  there  is 
in  that  soul;  would  that  you  could  see  it.  Then  you  would 
realize  why  the  Scripture  calls  such  souls  vipers,  dogs,  and 
swine. 

What  would  you  think,  then,  my  dear  young  people,  if,  after 
having  committed  a  sin  of  impurity,  you  found  yourself 
changed  into  an  unclean  animal?  But  you  are  even  worse 
than  this,  for  you  are  changed  into  a  devil.  Our  Lord  says, 
"  You  are  of  your  father,  the  devil,  and  the  desires  of  your 
father  you  will  do."  You  have  in  your  face  the  face  of  the 
devil;  in  your  blood  is  his  blood.  Would  you  be  delighted  with 
such  a  transformation?  What  a  horrible  thing  it  is  to  think 
that  you  are  not  only  sons  of  the  devil,  but  are  sons  of  hell; 
that  is,  you  are  destined  for  that  place  w'here  the  devils  live 
for  all  eternity.  In  order  to  live  far  from  sin  and  from  the 
abomination  it  causes  in  us.  Our  Lord  teaches  us  that  we 
should  avoid  the  occasions  of  sin  by  flying  from  its  neighbor- 
hood. For  He  told  His  disciples,  ^^  When  you  see  these  things 
about  to  come  to  pass,  those  who  are  in  Judea,  should  flee  to 
the  mountain,  and  he  that  is  on  the  house-top,  should  not 
come  down  to  take  anything  out  of  his  house."  Our  Lord 
commands  a  most  sudden  flight  from  all  that  might  lead  to 
sin.  This  measure  of  prudence  is  little  relished  by  Christians, 
for  they  live  blindly  on  in  their  sins;  they  will  not  listen  to 
the  wise  words  of  Ecclesiasticus,  "  He  that  loves  danger  shall 
perish  in  it." 

What,  my  dear  young  people,  is  your  greatest  occasion  of 
sin?    Your  companions  are,  probably,  the  greatest  source  of 


274:  The  End  of  the  World. 

peril  to  you;  avoid  especially  those  companions  who  speak 
against  modesty.  A  young  man  is  generally  good  until  he 
falls  in  with  bad  companions,  and  then  there  is  a  wonderful 
change.  After  that  he  does  not  go  to  Mass  on  Sunday,  con- 
fession is  given  up  as  well  as  holy  communion.  He  is  a  totally 
different  person  from  what  he  was  before  he  met  those  bad 
companions. 

It  is  related  that  there  was  in  a  certain  city  a  virtuous  young 
man,  who  went  to  a  neighboring  town  to  a  picnic.  Usually 
he  kept  good  company,  but  on  this  occasion  he  met  an  ac- 
quaintance who  was  unscrupulous  and  of  loose  morals.  He 
should  have  been  on  his  guard  against  him,  but  he  thought 
lightly  of  the  danger  just  then.  The  conversation  was  on  in- 
different topics  at  first,  but  gradually  they  became  more  in- 
terested, and  plans  were  made  to  commit  a  sin  of  impurity; 
he  fell  into  the  sin,  and  into  disgrace  in  after  life. 

Our  Lord  warns  us,  too,  against  putting  off  our  conversion 
from  one  day  to  another,  as  many  do.  He  tells  us  that 
the  woman  about  to  give  birth  to  a  child,  or  who  is  suckling 
an  infant  is  to  be  pitied,  because  she  cannot  fly.  Pray,  too. 
He  says,  that  your  flight  be  not  on  a  Sunday  or  in  bad  weather. 
Woe  to  them  if  they  put  off  their  flight  on  account  of  these 
difficulties.  Woe  to  those  who  defer  their  conversion,  who 
refuse  to  change  their  lives  and  are  determined  to  wait  until 
old  age  or  a  grave  sickness  overtakes  them,  or  till  the  end  of 
their  days.  Woe  to  those  who  neglect  to  rectify  the  bad  con- 
fessions made  in  the  past,  or  those  unworthy  communions,  or 
to  repair  the  scandal  by  which  they  ruined  so  many.  Woe 
to  him  who  comes  to  the  end  of  his  life  and  then  recognizes 
the  fact  that  he  has  led  a  very  bad  life.  Will  those  be  really 
converted  who  wait  to  the  end  of  their  days?  They  think  that 
then  they  will  sin  no  more  and  they  are  right;  for  on  account 
of  sickness,  they  will  no  longer  be  able  to  indulge  in  their 
evil  habits.  We  read  in  the  Psalms  that  those  that  put  off 
their  conversion  to  the  evening  of  their  life  will  suffer  hunger 
like  dogs.    Many  different  interpretations  are  given  of  these 


Twenty-fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  275 

words,  but  here  is  a  beautiful  and  spiritual  one:  "Thou," 
said  Our  Lord  to  the  sinner,  "  hast  treated  Me  like  a  dog  in 
your  days.  Now  I  will  treat  you  in  the  same  manner."  How 
are  dogs  treated?  They  come  to  the  table  of  the  master, 
whine,  and  beg  for  a  morsel.  Do  you  give  them  the  best  you 
have  on  your  plate?  No.  You  give  them  a  bone,  or  some- 
thing that  you  do  not  want  to  eat  yourself.  When  we  sin 
we  treat  GTod  in  the  same  way.  We  contemptuously  throw 
Him  something  to  keep  Him  quiet;  we  give  Him  the  worst 
we  have,  as  if  it  were  good  enough  for  Him;  we  are  deter- 
mined to  enjoy  our  youth  in  sin  and  throw  to  God  the  re- 
mainder of  our  days,  of  old  age,  sickness  and  feebleness.  But 
God  is  not  content  with  that.  Does  God  owe  you  His  grace 
at  that  time  of  life?  At  no  time  of  your  life  have  you  a  right 
to  it  and  certainly  not  at  the  end  of  your  days,  when  you  have 
done  nothing  to  deserve  it.  My  dear  young  people,  impress 
this  fact  well  on  your  minds,  that  your  wasted  days  and  op- 
portunities will  verify  the  words  of  Our  Lord,  which  you  may 
read  in  the  Gospel — that  we  shall  look  for  Him  and  shall  not 
find  Him,  and  we  shall  die  in  our  sins. 

Yes,  my  dear  young  friends,  firmly  persuade  yourselves  of 
this  generally  accepted  truth.  "  As  your  life  so  shall  be  your 
death."  He  who  leads  a  bad  life  will  also  die  a  bad  death. 
"  As  the  tree  is  felled,  so  will  it  lie."  The  sinner  is  the  tree, 
cut  down  by  almighty  God,  and  he  will  lie  where  he  has  fallen. 
St.  Jerome  had  the  boldness  to  say  that  out  of  ten  thousand 
sinners  waiting  till  the  end  of  their  days,  one  may  be  converted 
and  saved.  Then  do  not  walk  in  the  path  of  iniquity,  because 
when  you  wish  to  correct  your  bad  habits  you  may  not  have 
the  grace  to  do  so.  St.  Augustine  says,  "  It  is  the  just  judg- 
ment of  God,  that  he  who  could  have  acted  well  and  did  not 
act  well  will  lose  the  power  of  doing  well,  when  he  desires  it." 
The  time  of  sickness  and  death  is  not  a  good  time  to  change 
your  mode  of  life.  It  is  arrogance,  it  is  presumption.  I  hope 
and  pray  that  no  such  blind  and  obstinate  people  are  among 
you.    "Now  is  the  acceptable  time;  hate  and  detest  your  sins 


276  Christinas  Day, 

now  and  dedicate  the  rest  of  your  days  to  the  service  of  God 
and  the  practice  of  religion.  May  God  give  us  all  a  precious 
death  in  His  sight. 


THE  FESTIVALS  OF  THE  YEAR. 

CHRISTMAS  DAY. 

(December  25.) 

Gospel.  Luke  ii.  1-14.  At  that  time:  There  went  out  a  decree  from 
Caesar  Augustus,  that  the  whole  world  should  be  enrolled.  This  en- 
rolling was  first  made  by  Cyrinus  the  governor  of  Syria:  And  all  went 
to  be  enrolled,  every  one  into  his  own  city.  And  Joseph  also  went 
up  from  Galilee  out  of  the  city  of  Nazareth  into  Judea,  to  the  city 
of  David,  which  is  called  Bethlehem:  because  he  was  of  the  house 
and  family  of  David,  to  be  enrolled  with  Mary  his  espoused  wife, 
who  was  with  child.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  they  were 
there,  her  days  were  accomplished,  that  she  should  be  delivered.  And 
she  brought  forth  her  first-born  son,  and  wrapped  him  up  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger:  because  there  was  no  room  for 
them  in  the  inn.  And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds 
watching,  and  keeping  the  night-watches  over  their  flock.  And  behold 
an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  brightness  of  God  shone 
round  about  them,  and  they  feared  with  a  great  fear.  And  the  angel 
said  to  them:  Fear  not:  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great 
joy,  that  shall  be  to  all  the  people;  for  this  day  is  born  to  you  a 
Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord,  in  the  city  of  David.  And  this  shall 
be  a  sign  unto  you.  You  shall  find  the  infant  wrapped  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly  there  was  with  the 
angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  army,  praising  God,  and  saying: 
Glory  to  God  in  the  highest:  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good 
will. 

Who  does  not  rejoice  with  a  holy  joy  on  this  great  feast, 
when  we  celebrate  with  the  Church  the  appearance  of  the  Son 
of  the  eternal  Father,  our  most  amiable  Eedeemer!  Behold 
the  expectation  of  ages  has  at  last  made  His  appearance  among 
us!  Come  then,  all  ye  Christian  nations,  to  see  the  new-born 
Messias,  and  prostrate  yourselves  in  adoration  before  Him. 
Adore  Him  with  Mary,  His  Virgin  Mother;  with  St.  Joseph,  His 
foster-father;  with  the  angels  who  surround  the  manger,  and 


The  Festivals  of  the  Year,  t*t1 

sing  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest."  0  mystery  of  divine  love, 
that  a  God  should  descend  from  heaven  and  become  man  for 
us!  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  while  giving  a  discourse  on  this  very 
subject,  was  so  moved  that  he  could  not  utter  another  word, 
and  he  and  his  audience  wept  floods  of  tears.  My  dear  young 
people,  I  also  feel  moved  on  this  subject,  and  would  rather 
give  a  sermon  in  tears  than  in  words,  when  I  think  that  God 
so  loves  the  world  that  His  eternal  Son  became  a  mere  infant 
for  us.  0  what  can  I  do  to  set  your  hearts  on  fire  for  Him? 
I  confess  I  am  not  equal  to  the  task;  but  with  the  aid  of  the 
Child  Jesus,  I  will  relate  in  a  few  words  the  history  of  His 
birth,  and  make  some  humble  and  loving  comments  on  it. 
Who  knows  but  that  you  will  be  touched  by  the  great  con- 
descension of  our  good  Lord,  and  may  offer  Him  a  few  tears  of 
gratitude! 

Let  us  go,  my  dear  young  friends,  to  Bethlehem,  and  ask 
the  shepherds  who  were  so  privileged  as  to  hear  the  first  news 
of  the  birth  of  Christ  from  the  angels,  what  they  saw  and 
heard.  "  Oh  joy  and  gladness!  "  they  will  say.  "  We  have  seen 
the  new-born  King,  we  have  seen  the  Child,  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  world,  wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes;  we  have  heard 
His  childish  cries,  and  falling  down  in  adoration  we  have 
kissed  His  sacred  feet  with  the  greatest  veneration.  0  if  you 
could  see  how  beautiful  He  is!  His  rosy  cheeks,  His  golden 
hair,  the  pearls  of  tears  in  His  eyes:  all  more  beautiful  than 
an  angel  of  paradise.  Above  the  Child  hover  angels.  His 
servants,  praising  Him,  singing  hymns  of  glory  and  announc- 
ing peace  to  men  of  good  will.  We  have  seen  Him  born 
and  the  choirs  of  angels  praising  God."  And  where  is  that 
divine  Infant  to  be  found,  in  a  house  or  in  a  palace?  Oh,  He 
is  to  be  found  in  a  poor  stable;  He  is  laid  in  a  manger, 
wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes  and  exposed  to  the  cold  air! 
Two  animals,  an  ox  and  an  ass,  keep  Him  warm  with  their 
breath  and  seem  to  recognize  their  Creator.  A  man  with  a 
radiant  face,  weeping  tears  of  joy,  and  full  of  wonder,  adores 
Him.    A  young  mother,  in  ecstasy,  is  busied  about  the  little 


278  Christmas  Day, 

Child's  necessities;  she  covers  Him  with  what  she  has  about 
her,  to  keep  away  the  cold,  she  kisses  His  little  feet  as  a 
recognition  that  He  is  her  God,  and  then  His  face  to  show  that 
He  is  her  Son.  The  little  Infant  holds  out  His  hands  toward 
His  Mother,  and  looks  at  her  with  a  joyous  smile. 

Happy  shepherds,  what  were  the  gifts  that  you  brought  to 
this  divine  Infant?  In  our  poverty  we  had  but  little  that  we 
could  give;  we  brought  Him  fruit,  milk,  cheese  and  a  young 
white  lamb.  If  you  could  have  seen  that  dear  Child,  with  a 
smile  and  a  grateful  look,  receive  these  poor  gifts;  He  ap- 
peared to  thank  us  with  His  cries  and  to  ask  us  to  give  Him 
our  hearts  with  our  other  gifts.  We  could  hardly  tear  our- 
selves away  from  that  dear  Child.  This  is  what  these  poor, 
simple  people  would  say.  But  you,  my  dear  young  people, 
what  are  your  thoughts  about  that  holy  Child?  This  poor 
Child,  who  is  only  a  few  hours  old,  is  the  Son  of  the  Most 
High.  Before  there  was  a  heaven  or  an  earth.  He  existed; 
the  home  of  that  Infant  is  heaven.  Though  you  see  Him 
wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes.  His  vesture  is  a  mantle  of 
purest  light;  though  you  see  Him  between  two  animals.  His 
usual  companions  are  the  angels  of  heaven.  This  beautiful 
Child  is  God;  these  small  members  are  the  strong  arms  of  a 
God.  But  if  He  be  God,  why  is  He  in  such  poverty?  He  is 
born  poor  because  He  wants  it  so,  and  to  gain  our  love  and 
confidence.  He  might  have  come  into  the  world  in  a  palace, 
surrounded  by  servants;  but  He  preferred  a  manger  for  His 
cradle  and  a  little  straw  for  His  bed.  He  wished  to  begin  His 
infancy  in  tears.  "  Oh,  truly  happy  tears,"  cries  out  St. 
Thomas  of  Yillanova,  "  which  obtain  for  us  the  pardon  of  our 
sins;  when  we  were  all  lost  to  God,  this  Child  comes  to  save 
us." 

But  what  does  this  Child  of  infinite  love  ask  of  us  in  re- 
turn? He  asks  gratitude,  acknowledgment  and  love.  The 
shepherds  adored  Him  indeed,  but  the  rest  of  mankind  did  not 
recognize  Him.  All  the  inhabitants  of  Bethlehem  turned 
Him  from  their  doors;  "  the  foxes  have  holes  and  the  birds 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  279 

of  the  air  nests,  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  w*here  to  lay  His 
head/'  The  prophet  says,  "  The  ox  knoweth  his  owner  and 
the  ass  his  master's  crib,  but  Israel  hath  not  known  Me." 
Even  in  our  time  many  Christians  do  not  give  Him  the  honor 
which  is  His  due;  they  heap  insults  on  Him,  blaspheme  His 
sacred  name,  and  live  in  enmity  with  Him,  or  do  not  believe 
in  Him. 

Yes,  my  dear  good  children,  you  understand  now  that  the 
Child  Jesus,  in  return  for  the  great  love  He  showed  us,  should 
have  gained  all  hearts  on  this  earth.  How  many  sinners  are 
there  in  the  world  and  how  many  sins  are  committed  by  them 
still!  Does  this  look  as  if  Christ  had  conquered  our  hearts? 
Perhaps  more  sins  than  usual  are  committed  on  Christmas 
day.  The  feasts  of  the  Church  seem  to  give  occasion  for  sin, 
such  as  going  to  places  of  amusement  that  are  dangerous  to 
morals.  But  let  me  beg  of  you,  my  dear  young  people,  no 
longer  to  be  ungrateful  to  the  Child  Jesus.  See,  this  little 
Child  God  has  already  begun  to  suffer  for  you;  He  is  doing  the 
penance  which  you  refused  to  do,  and  wihich  you  should  not 
omit.  Do  you  hear  the  cry  of  the  Child?  He  is  already  mak- 
ing reparation  for  those  wicked  conversations  in  which  you 
sometimes  indulge.  Go  now  to  the  manger  in  which  Our 
Lord  is  placed,  and  take  a  good  look  at  Him.  See  in 
what  poverty  He  is  placed  all  for  you,  and  then  give  your- 
self up  to  God.  Will  you  not  give  your  heart,  your  affection 
to  Him? 

Love  this  little  Jesus  with  all  your  heart,  with  all  your  mind 
and  with  all  your  soul;  no  longer  give  yourself  to  the  devil; 
be  sorry  for  the  past,  throw  yourself  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and 
make  an  entire  offering  of  yourself  to  Him,  saying,  "  Here 
we  are,  dear  Infant  Jesus,  at  your  feet,  with  our  gifts  in  our 
hands,  the  gift  of  our  hearts;  but  such  miserable  hearts,  that 
the  gift  is  unworthy  of  Thee.  But,  dear  Infant,  Thou  art 
omnipotent;  Thou  canst,  if  we  co-operate  with  Thy  grace, 
make  them  pure,  holy,  and  acceptable  in  Thy  sight.  Thou 
canst  fill  them  with  virtues  and  then  they  will  be  fit  gifts  for 


280  The  Circumcision  of  Our  Lord, 

a  God  that  is  in  search  of  souls.  We  volunteer  to  give  our 
own  souls  first,  and  then  we  will  go  forth  and  gather  many 
others.  We  now  leave  our  hearts  at  Thy  feet;  do  not  de- 
spise them.  Thou  didst  not  despise  the  poor  gifts  of  the 
shepherds;  then  take  also  this  gift  of  our  hearts,  keep  them 
and  make  their  entrance  into  heaven  sure." 

THE  CIECUMCISION  OF  OUR  LOKD. 

(Jantjaby  1.) 

GrOSPEL.  Luke  ii.  21.  At  that  time:  After  eight  days  were  accom- 
pli&hed  that  the  child  should  be  circumcised:  his  name  was  called 
Jesus,  which  was  called  by  the  angel  before  he  was  conceived  in  the 
womb. 

Here  we  are,  my  dear  young  friends,  at  the  beginning  of 
a  new  year.  When  we  look  back  on  the  days  that  have  been 
vouchsafed  to  us,  so  full  of  graces  and  blessings,  we  feel  that 
we  ought  to  be  filled  with  gratitude.  But  when  we  look  at 
the  past,  we  find  that  we  have  frequently  done  our  work 
badly;  that  we  have  outraged  God  by  our  carelessness,  cold- 
ness, and  sinfulness.  When  we  consider  all  this  wasted  and 
misspent  time,  we  begin  to  feel  some  concern  for  the  future. 
How  ungrateful  we  have  been  to  God!  Many  of  us  have  to 
bewail  lost  time,  time  spent  in  idleness,  pastimes,  recreations, 
and  useless  occupations;  yes,  even  time  spent  in  sin.  Let  us 
now  correct  all  this;  be  sorry  for  the  past  and  make  firm 
resolutions  for  the  future.  As  St.  Paul  tells  us,  "  See  how 
you  walk  circumspectly,  not  as  unwise  but  as  wise,  redeeming 
the  time."  In  order  that  you  may  be  convinced  of  your  great 
ingratitude  to  God's  kindness,  and  that  you  may  be  deter- 
mined to  remedy  the  past  days  of  the  year,  let  us  examine 
ourselves  a  little  further.  How  have  you  spent  all  the  days 
of  your  life?  How  much  good  might  you  have  done,  and  yet 
have  omitted  it!  How  many  prayers  could  you  have  said, 
but  you  were  careless  about  them!  How  often  could  you  have 
listened  to  a  sermon  and  you  did  not  make  the  effort!  You 
could  have  frequented  the  sacraments  of  confession  and  com- 


The  Festwals  of  the  Tea/r,  281 

mimioii,  but  your  indevotion  and  coldness  kept  you  away. 
How  many  charitable  works  could  you  have  done!  The  op- 
portunities for  acts  of  kindness  to  others  are  so  frequent,  and 
so  pleasing  to  almighty  God — and  yet  you  did  not  perform 
them.  Many  and  many  a  day  we  have  lost  in  looking  for 
recreation,  and  in  performing  mere  human  actions  which  have 
no  merit  attached  to  them.  We  read  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs, 
^^  The  way  of  the  slothful  is  as  a  hedge  of  thorns.^' 

How  have  you  accomplished  the  little  good  you  have  done? 
You  have  said  prayers,  but  in  a  distracted  way  and  carelessly. 
You  have  been  to  church,  but  you  never  thought  of  the  pres- 
ence of  God.  You  went  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  but  very 
little  good  did  you  derive  from  it.  And  then  your  sins:  of 
how  many  have  you  been  guilty?  I  hope  you  have  not  sullied 
your  souls  with  awful,  wicked  crimes  that  make  the  soul  of 
the  youth  like  hell  itself.  Can  you  tell  how  often  you  have 
been  disobedient  to  your  superiors;  the  number  of  impudent 
answers  given  them;  the  curses,  blasphemies  against  God,  the 
bad  example  to  your  companions,  those  many  wilful  thoughts 
against  purity?  Can  you  give  an  account  of  those  wicked 
words  by  which  you  have  taught  sin  to  others?  What  a  mul- 
titude of  sins  have  you  not  committed! 

We  read  in  St.  Luke  that  a  gardener  had  planted  a  fig-tree 
in  his  garden;  one  day  he  went  to  look  at  the  plants  and 
shrubs  and  trees  with  which  his  garden  was  stocked.  He  came 
to  this  tree,  and  saw  that  it  bore  no  fruit;  it  was  a  healthy, 
green,  luxuriant  tree,  and  yet  it  bore  no  fruit;  like  a  lazy,  well- 
fed,  careless  man  who  takes  everything  given  to  him,  but 
makes  no  return.  "  Well,"  said  the  master,  "  just  look  at  this 
tree;  for  the  past  three  years  I  have  come  here  and  expected 
at  least  a  little  fruit;  but  there  has  never  been  any.  Why  does 
this  tree  take  up  good  space  uselessly?  Cut  it  down,  and 
dirow  it  into  the  fire,  and  let  us  have  done  with  it."  But 
the  servant  said,  "  Ought  you  not  to  try  this  tree  one  year 
more?  I  will  dig  about  it  and  cultivate  it  carefully;  perhaps 
it  will  surprise  us  next  year." 


282  The  Circumcision  of  Our  Lord. 

You,  my  dear  young  people,  are  trees  planted  by  almighty 
God  in  the  garden  of  His  holy  Catholic  Church,  that  you  may 
produce  good  fruit.  Here  is  a  three-year-old  tree,  and  the 
farmer  is  tired  of  waiting.  How  old  are  you?  You  are  old 
enough  to  have  done  something  long  ago.  Instead  of  fruit 
you  have  produced  thorns.  St.  Augustine  says,  "  Up  to  the 
present  I  have  lived  my  years  badly;  they  are  years  lost  to  me; 
when  I  cast  a  glance  on  what  I  have  done,  my  heart  fails  me, 
for  I  see  nothing  but  sin,  that  cries  out  against  me  and  rebukes 
me.    My  former  years  have  been  useless.'' 

All  the  creatures  of  the  universe,  ministers  of  divine  justice, 
at  the  sight  of  your  wickedness  have  been  calling  on  God  to 
be  allowed  to  vindicate  His  outraged  goodness  and  mercy 
by  inflicting  on  you  death  or  sickness.  But  again  the  good- 
ness of  Our  Lord  put  it  off.  '^  Allow  that  tree  to  stand  one 
year  more."  Yes,  let  him  have  another  year;  perhaps  he  will 
change  his  mode  of  life,  will  sin  no  more,  but  will  be  con- 
verted; will  become  a  good  tree  and  produce  beautiful  fruit. 
In  the  meanwhile,  however,  the  good  are  injured  to  a  certain 
extent  by  this  delay;  that  bad  tree  ruins  the  good  ones.  A 
youth  who  neglects  devotions,  no  longer  goes  to  the  sacra- 
ments, and  gives  scandal  to  others,  gets  into  a  habit  of  cursing 
and  swearing,  is  a  tree  that  produces  such  unwholesome  fruit 
that  other  souls  are  brought  to  death;  why  should  it  not  be 
cut  down  at  once?  Yes,  the  divine  Justice  says,  that  tree 
ought  indeed  to  be  cut  down;  but  where  there  is  life  there  is 
hope.  Our  Lord  says  He  desires  not  the  death  of  the  sin- 
ner, but  that  he  be  converted  from  his  ways  and  live.  In  the 
meantime  years  and  months  pass  by;  he  continues  at  enmity 
with  God;  but  the  divine  mercy  never  deserts  him;  it  follows 
him  always,  is  about  him  with  heavenly  inspirations  and  clear 
light,  which  makes  him  understand  that  interior  voice  which 
is  sometimes  amiable,  sometimes  severe:  if  amiable,  it  invites 
him  to  Our  Lord's  embrace  and  promises  reward,  consolation 
and  peace;  if,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  severe,  it  threatens  punish- 
ment and  death.    His  pleasures  are  turned  into  bitterness; 


The  Festivals  of  the  Yea/r.  283 

his  conscieiice  gives  him  no  rest,  but  fills  him  with  a  thousand 
fears;  his  memory  constantly  recalls  the  years  of  his  c'hildish 
happiness,  when  he  went  to  church  joyfully,  and  when  he 
prayed  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  What  joys  did  he  not  experi- 
ence in  his  prayers!  what  consolation  did  he  not  find  in  going 
to  holy  communion!  it  was  like  the  peace  and  happiness  of 
paradise. 

Such  were  the  means  which  the  divine  goodness  used  to 
gain  the  sinner  to  God,  and  perhaps  all  that  time  he  was  hard 
and  obstinate  in  his  sins.  Perhaps  this  may  even  be  your  case. 
And  if  it  is,  will  you  not  give  over  your  obstinacy  and  practise 
Christian  virtue?  Go  to  your  Father,  your  tender  Friend,  to 
the  loving  Jesus  w*ho  has  been  waiting  for  you  with  such  a 
love  and  who  has  stretched  out  His  arms  to  you,  to  press  you 
to  His  bosom.  Should  there  be  some  among  you  who  ought 
to  think  of  doing  better,  they  are  foolish  if  they  do  not  profit 
by  the  time  which  God  has  set  for  them;  for  that  time  will 
soon  pass  away  and  then  will  come  the  time  of  reckoning. 
"For  time  shall  be  no  more."  Oh,  have  a  little  sense,  and 
use  it  for  the  purpose  of  your  highest  interest,  the  salvation  of 
your  soul.  "  Whilst  we  have  time  let  us  do  good.''  "  Blessed," 
says  St.  Philip  Neri,  "  are  ye  young  people  that  have  a  long 
time  before  you  in  which  to  do  good."  What  great  good  you 
can  do  in  your  youth  and  strength;  the  old  man  has  but  a 
short  time  before  him.  Do  not  wait  for  the  night  when  you 
cannot  work.  "  The  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work." 
St.  Anthony  says  that  if  the  damned  had  the  time  we  throw 
away,  and  had  another  chance  to  live,  they  would  become 
saints.  If  they  could  return  to  the  earth,  would  they  sleep 
and  fool  their  time  away?  No;  with  the  experience  gathered 
in  the  other  world  they  would  work  day  and  night,  for  they 
know  the  value  of  these  occasions  to  gain  merits.  Thank 
divine  providence  that  has  watched  over  you  with  so  great 
care;  pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost  that  He  may  send  into  your 
soul  that  ray  of  light  which  will  make  known  to  you  how  im- 
portant this  opportunity  of  conversion  is;  that  you  may  be 


284:  The  Epiphomy, 

inspired  by  Him  with  a  strong  will  to  persevere  in  good.  With 
St.  Augustine  let  us  exclaim,  "  Too  late,  0  infinite  goodness, 
too  late  have  we  begun  to  love  Thee!  0  infinite  love  of  God, 
what  did  we  love,  when  we  did  not  love  Thee?  Too  late  have 
we  known  Thee  and  loved  Thee,  infinite  loveliness  of  God! " 
And  you,  my  good  young  friends,  for  good  I  can  consider 
the  most  of  you  to  be,  who  constantly  endeavor  to  conquer 
your  bad  inclinations  and  the  temptations  of  the  devil;  re- 
joice on  this  day,  for  you  have  cause  to  be  glad  at  the  merits 
you  have  gained  and  which  have  been  laid  up  for  you  in 
heaven;  continue  to  pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost  that  He  may  give 
you  the  grace  of  perseverance. 

THE  EPIPHANY. 

(Januaby  6.) 

Gospel.  Matt.  ii.  1-12.  When  Jesus,  therefore,  was  bom  in  Bethle- 
hem of  Juda,  in  the  days  of  king  Herod,  behold,  there  came  wise  men 
from  the  East  to  Jerusalem,  saying:  Where  is  he  that  is  born  King 
of  the  Jews?  For  we  have  seen  his  star  in  the  East,  and  are  come 
to  adore  him.  And  king  Herod  hearing  this,  was  troubled,  and  all 
Jerusalem  with  him:  and  assembling  together  all  the  chief  priests 
and  scribes  of  the  people,  he  inquired  of  them  where  Christ  should 
be  born.  But  they  said  to  him,  in  Bethlehem  of  Juda:  for  so  it  is 
written  by  the  prophet:  And  thou  Bethlehem,  the  land  of  Juda,  art 
not  the  least  among  the  princes  of  Juda:  for  out  of  thee  shall  come 
forth  the  captain  that  shall  rule  my  people  Israel.  Then  Herod, 
privately  calling  the  wise  men,  learned  diligently  of  them  the  time 
of  the  star  which  appeared  to  them:  and  sending  them  into  Bethle- 
hem, said:  Go  and  diligently  inquire  after  the  child:  and  when  you 
have  found  him,  bring  me  word  again,  that  I  also  may  come  and  adore 
him.  Who  having  heard  the  king,  went  their  way:  and  behold,  the 
st?.r  which  they  had  seen  in  the  East,  went  before  them,  until  it 
came  and  stood  over  where  the  child  was.  And  seeing  the  star,  they 
rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy.  And  entering  into  the  house,  they 
found  the  child  with  Mary  his  mother,  and  falling  down,  they  adored 
him;  and  opening  their  treasures,  they  offered  him  gifts,  gold, 
frankincense,  and  myrrh.  And  having  received  an  answer  in  sleep  that 
they  should  not  return  to  Herod,  they  went  back  another  way  into 
their  country. 


ITie  Festivals  of  the  Yea/r,  285 

One  day,  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago,  a  miraculous  star 
of  astonishing  brightness  appeared  in  the  East.  Three  pious 
wise  men  of  the  East,  kings  we  are  told,  since  known  as  the 
Magi,  saw  it,  and,  inspired  by  heaven,  they  at  once  knew  that 
the  birth  of  the  long-promised  King  of  the  Jews  had  come  to 
pass,  and  that  they  were  called  upon  to  adore  Him.  This  star 
appeared  through  the  infinite  goodness  of  the  Messias.  Not 
only  did  He  want  the  homage  of  poor  shepherds,  but  He  also 
wanted  that  of  the  great  and  the  learned  ones  of  this  world. 
He  wished  to  make  known  His  humble  birth  to  all  classes  of 
men,  and  thoug*h  He  was  born  in  an  obscure  town,  in  a  stable 
isimong  the  meanest  surroundings.  He  wished  that  all  men 
should  recognize  Him  as  the  Messias.  On  this  day,  the 
Epiphany  of  Our  Lord,  we  should  rejoice  with  a  new  joy 
because  He  made  known  His  birth  to  all  the  world.  This  was 
the  first  time  that  the  Gentiles  were  called,  the  class  to  which 
we  belong,  for  we  are  not  Jews  nor  descendants  of  Jews,  but 
descendants  of  pagans.  Let  me  tell  you  in  a  few  words  how 
the  Magi  left  their  own  country  and  set  out  to  find  the  Child 
(Jesus;  and  how  we  too  should  go  forth  in  search  of  this 
divine  Infant,  and  like  the  Magi,  make  Him  a  fitting  offering. 
The  Magi  saw  the  star,  knew  its  meaning  and  started  on  their 
poumey  without  any  delay.  They  abandoned  their  kingdoms 
and  all  their  earthly  interests  and  gave  themselves  up  to  the 
^idance  of  the  star. 

There  is  a  great  lesson  in  this,  my  dear  young  friends;  re-> 
member  that  it  is  necessary  to  respond  to  the  divine  call 
without  delay;  you  must  not  say  I  will  do  it  at  some  future 
time;  I  will  go  to  confession  soon;  I  will  repent  after  a 
while.  You  must  say  I  will  repent  now,  I  will  confess  my 
sins  now  and  make  my  peace  with  God.  Woe  to  the  man  that 
does  not  obey  the  divine  will  at  once,  but  continues  obdurate 
in  his  sins. 

When  the  Magi,  after  a  long  journey,  arrived  in  Jerusalem 
H^hey  made  the  inquiry,  "  Where  is  He  that  is  bom  King  of 
the  Jews?.   For  we  .have  seen  His  star  in  the  East  and  are 


286  The  Epi^hcmy. 

come  to  adore  Him."  There  reigned  at  that  time  in  that 
country  King  Herod,  called  the  great,  not  for  his  magnificent 
works,  but  for  his  vices  and  enormous  crimes.  He  had  heard 
of  the  arrival  of  these  men,  and  their  errand,  and  he  was 
greatly  disturbed  by  it.  Are  there,  he  asked,  other  kings  in 
Judea,  am  I  not  the  only  king  of  the  Jews?  Then  he  called 
the  Scribes  and  wise  men  of  the  law  together,  and  asked  them 
which  place  the  prophets  had  designated  as  the  birthplace  of 
the  Messias.  They  pointed  to  the  text  of  the  Prophet 
Micheas,  '^And  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephrata,  art  a  little  one 
among  the  thousands  of  Juda:  out  of  thee  shall  ,He  come 
forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  the  Euler  in  Israel." 

These  words  struck  terror  into  Herod's  heart,  but  he  con- 
cealed his  fears,  and  having  called  the  Magi  to  the  palace,  he 
asked  them  the  time  of  the  star's  appearance;  he  then  told 
them  that  the  new  King  was  to  be  born  in  Bethlehem;  that 
they  should  go  there,  and  search  for  Him,  and  when  they 
had  found  Him,  to  return  to  him  (Herod)  so  that  he  also 
could  go  and  adore  Him.  What  a  hypocrite  Herod  was!  He 
had  resolved  in  his  heart  to  murder  that  Child,  but  before  the 
Magi  he  puts  on  the  appearance  of  humility,  piety  and  devo- 
tion, in  order  to  succeed  the  better  in  his  dark  designs.  The 
murder  of  the  innocents  clearly  showed  what  would  have 
been  the  fate  of  the  new-born  King  had  He  fallen  into  Herod's 
hands.  This  divine  Child,  0  Herod,  has  many  ways  of  guard- 
ing Himself  against  thy  bloodthirsty  plans,  and  even  though 
He  escape  your  cruelty  the  chastisement  of  heaven  will  fall 
upon  you;  so  great  will  be  your  pains  that  in  your  anguish 
you  will  seek  relief  in  suicide,  and  when  this  life  is  over,  hell 
will  be  your  eternal  habitation! 

My  dear  young  friends,  are  there  any  Herods  among  you, 
who  outwardly  profess  piety  and  devotion,  but  inwardly  are 
resolved  On  the  spiritual  destruction  of  the  innocent?  Those 
who  sully  their  tongues  with  vile  language  and  then,  unre- 
pentant and  uncorrected,  receive  the  immaculate  Lamb  on 
that  same  tongue?    Ah!  if  there  be  such  here,  let  the  fate 


The  Festwals  of  the  Year.  287 

of  the  impious  Herod  be  a  warning  to  them;  for  God's 
vengeance  will  not  fail  to  follow  them. 

After  the  Magi  had  heard  Herod's  announcement,  they 
went  on  toward  Bethlehem,  and  raising  their  eyes  to  heaven 
saw  there  the  guiding  star,  which  beckoned  them  to  follow. 
They  were  filled  with  inexpressible  joy  at  this  favor  of  God, 
and  started  once  more  on  their  journey. 

The  joy  of  the  Magi  was  great  because  now  they  knew  they 
were  on  the  rig'ht  road.  If  you  have  trodden  the  way  of  vice 
and  sin  and  have  wandered  far  from  God,  you  will  never  feel 
true  peace  and  happiness.  As  Isaias  says,  "  There  is  no  peace 
to  the  wicked."  The  Magi  journeyed  on  with  a  light  step 
until  they  reached  the  city  of  Bethlehem,  and  going  through 
the  winding  streets,  the  star  stood  over  a  poor  hut,  as  if  to 
say,  *here  is  the  spot  in  which  you  will  find  the  new-born 
King;  here  your  journey  ends.  What  a  building  in  which  to 
look  for  the  King  of  the  Jews!  Nothing  but  a  stable,  a  cave 
•which  served  as  a  refuge  for  animals.  What  did  the  Magi 
think  when  they  stood  there,  and  what  did  they  say?  Did 
they  turn  to  one  another  and  say  we  have  been  duped,  and 
thus  ends  this  great  farce?  Our  modern  scientific  and  learned 
philosophers  would  certainly  have  said  so,  but  the  Magi  were 
a  different  people;  they  were  pagans,  it  is  true,  but  they  had 
learned  on  their  journey  all  about  God;  and  now  that  they 
were  there  before  this  miserable  stable,  their  faith  was  not 
shaken.  They  entered  the  place  and  found  the  Child  Jesus, 
seated  on  the  knees  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  He  held  out  His 
little  arms  to  His  visitors,  welcoming  them,  and  bidding  them 
approach.  A  supernatural  power  forced  them  to  see  that  this 
Child  was  God,  the  Messias,  the  King  of  the  Jews,  and  falling 
down  they  adored  Him.  What  a  beautiful  sight,  to  see  the 
wise  men  show  their  love  of  God!  We  are  often  too  proud  to 
show  any  signs  of  religion;  it  seems  as  if  a  little  wickedness 
is  acceptable  to  all.  Then  the  Magi  brought  out  their  treas- 
ures and  their  offerings;  gold,  incense,  and  myrrh,  which 
were  the  products  of  their  country.    They  were  allowed  to 


288  Candlemas  Doaj, 

kiss  the  feet  of  the  Infant,  and  they  wept  in  sympathy  at 
the  poverty  of  the  Child  and  His  Mother. 

Like  the  Magi,  we,  too,  must  offer  gifts  to  the  new-bom 
Babe  of  Bethlehem.  What  gifts  are  most  grateful  to  Him? 
Let  us  give  Him  our  hearts,  but  before  we  give  them  let  us 
cleanse  them  by  contrition  and  confession.  This  little  Child 
will  help  us  to  purify  our  souls  so  that  they  will  be  as  pure 
as  refined  gold,  and  as  valuable.  Let  us  then  arise,  and  car- 
rying our  hearts  in  our  hands,  hold  them  out  to  Him.  He 
will  gladly  accept  them,  He  will  bless  us,  and  give  us  that 
peace  which  we  can  find  only  in  God. 

Behold  us,  0  dear  Child  Jesus,  prostrate  at  Thy  feet;  will- 
ingly we  offer  Thee  our  hearts,  poor  ones  as  they  are;  but 
Thou  wilt  make  them  suitable  to  Thyself.  Of  ourselves  we 
promise  that  we  will  never  again  offend  Thee.  The  bad  habits 
we  have  indulged  in  will,  by  Thy  grace,  be  eradicated,  so  that 
we  may  live  better  lives.  Accept  these  cold  hearts,  inflame 
them  with  Thy  sacred  love;  make  them  desire  to  love  Thee 
sincerely,  so  that  from  this  glorious  day  we  may  do  nothing 
but  what  is  to  Thy  greater  glory. 

CANDLEMAS  DAY. 

(February  2.) 

Gospel.  lAike  ii.  22-32.  At  that  time:  After  the  days  of  her  puri- 
fication according  to  the  law  of  Moses  were  accomplished,  they 
carried  him  to  Jerusalem  to  present  him  to  the  Lord,  as  it  is  writ- 
ten in  the  law  of  the  Lord:  Every  male  opening  the  womb  shall 
be  called  holy  to  the  Lord.  And  to  offer  a  sacrifice  accord- 
ing as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lford,  a  pair  of  turtle- 
doves, or  two  young  pigeons.  And  behold  there  was  a  man  in 
Jerusalem  named  Simeon,  and  this  man  was  just  and  devout,  wait- 
ing for  the  consolation  of  Israel:  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  in  him. 
And  he  had  received  an  answer  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should 
not  see  death  before  he  had  seen  the  Christ  of  the  Lord.  And  he 
came  by  the  Spirit  into  the  temple.  And  when  his  parents  brought 
in  the  child  Jesus,  to  do  for  him  according  to  the  custom  of  the  law; 
he  also  took  him  into  his  arms,  and  blessed  God,  and  said:  Now 
thou  dost  dismiss  thy  servant,  O  L<ord,  according  to  thy  word,  ut 


The  Festwals  of  the  Tear.  289 

peace:  because  my  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou  hast 
prepared  before  the  face  of  all  peoples :  a  light  to  the  revelation  of  the 
gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people  Israel. 

Let  us  follow  Mary,  with  the  Child  Jesus  in  her  arms. 
When  the  time  of  purification  had  come,  she  went  forth  ac- 
cording to  the  law,  to  the  Temple.  For  forty  days  the  mother 
of  a  male  child  had  to  remain  indoors,  could  associate  with  no 
one,  and  could  touch  nothing,  because  she  was  supposed  to  be 
impure.  How  is  it  possible  that  this  lily  of  purity  could  be 
impure,  when  by  God's  interposition  she  still  remained  a  vir- 
gin? But  the  humble  virgin  preferred  to  subject  herself  to 
the  law,  to  appear  impure  in  order  that  God's  will  should  be 
respected.  Humility  is  the  great  lesson  we  can  learn  from 
this  conduct  of  Mary. 

The  law  obliged  the  woman,  in  the  rite  of  purification,  to 
offer  a  lamb  and  a  pigeon,  or  if  she  were  poor,  she  might  offer 
two  doves.  Mary  was  poor,  and  therefore  she  offered  the  gift 
of  the  poor.  She  loved  poverty  and  was  not  ashamed  of  it. 
We  often  consider  poverty  a  disgrace;  it  makes  us  feel  sad, 
and  yet  it  makes  us  more  like  Mary,  and  also  more  like  Jesus, 
who,  though  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  descended  from 
heaven,  and  "being  rich  He  became  poor."  St.  Augustine 
calls  poverty  the  gold  with  which  heaven  is  purchased. 

The  law  also  provided  that  the  first-bom  male  child  was  to 
be  consecrated  to  the  Lord.  The  priest  did  this.  He  took 
the  Child  in  his  arms,  and  held  Him  up  before  the  holy  of 
holies.  Jesus  was  God  for  He  was  the  Son  of  God;  the  law 
of  the  Temple  did  not  bind  His  holy  Mother,  but  in  her 
humility  and  her  obedience  she  did  not  omit  the  least  cere- 
mony. This,  my  dear  young  friends,  is  also  the  duty  of  par- 
ents to  their  children;  they  should  offer  them  from  their 
earliest  days  to  God's  service.  Instead  of  that,  they  often  give 
their  children  to  the  devil  by  the  bad  example  they  give  them. 
Poor  children,  who  are  thus  constrained  to  drink  in  wicked- 
ness with  their  mother's  milk!  But  if  your  parents  have  failed 
in  their  duty,  you  are  obliged  to  do  for  yourself.    As  every 


290  Ccmdlemas  Day, 

first-fruit  had  to  be  offered  to  God,  so  you  also  should  dedicate 
the  first  days  of  your  life  to  His  service.  Have  you  made  this 
offering  to  Him?  Perhaps  you  have  never  thought  of  this 
obligation;  perhaps  you  have  already  made  a  sacrilegious  sac- 
rifice to  the  devil  by  committing  sin.  If  this  be  the  case 
repent  of  the  sin,  offer  your  heart  to  Jesus,  and  He  will  purify 
it  and  inflame  it  with  His  holy  love.  Pray  to  Mary  that  she 
may,  like  a  high-priestess,  make  that  offering  for  you. 

In  those  days  there  was  in  Jerusalem  a  holy  man  named 
Simeon,  who  had  had  a  revelation  from  the  Holy  Ghost  that  he 
would  not  see  death  until  he  had  seen  with  his  own  eyes  the 
Redeemer  and  Messias.  Led  by  divine  inspiration  he  was  going 
to  the  Temple,  and  there  he  met  Mary  with  the  Child.  An 
interior  voice  told  him  that  this  was  the  Child  whom  he 
sought,  this  was  the  Eedeemer.  The  holy  old  man  seemed  to 
regain  his  youth  and  strength.  He  asked  that  the  Child  be 
placed  in  his  arms,  and  having  kissed  and  embraced  Him, 
Simeon  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  broke  out  into  this 
beautiful  canticle  of  love:  *^  Now  Thou  dost  dismiss  Thy 
servant,  0  Lord,  according  to  Thy  word,  in  peace;  because 
my  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation.  Which  Thou  hast  pre- 
pared before  the  face  of  all  the  people.  A  light  to  the  revela- 
tion of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  Thy  people,  Israel." 
Happy  indeed  was  Simeon  to  have  seen  the  Child  Jesus,  and 
after  that  great  favor  he  was  glad  and  ready  to  die.  My  dear 
youthful  friends,  do  we,  who  have  Our  Lord  continually  pres- 
ent on  our  altars,  feel  the  joy  of  the  possession  of  Christ? 
Do  we  feel  it  as  a  reality,  and  not  merely  as  something  that 
we  are  obliged  to  believe?  With  what  difficulty  are  we  in- 
duced to  pay  Him  a  visit  at  the  altar,  and  when  in  church 
how  distracted  and  careless  we  are!  Then,  too,  that  same 
Jesus  comes  into  our  heart  in  communion,  a  grace  that  Simeon 
did  not  have.  That  loving  Jesus  tells  us  to  come  to  Him 
and  He  will  comfort  us;  but  we  are  very  sparing  of  our  visits, 
and  some  of  us  do  not  go  near  Him  in  months  or  even  years. 
If  the  priest  should  distribute  money  or  fruit  at  the  altar 


The  Festwals  of  the  lear.  291 

what  crowds  would  come  for  the  gift,  but  because  Christ's 
body  is  distributed,  few  come  to  receive  it. 

You  surely  will  not  be  ungrateful  to  so  much  love.  Visit 
Him,  adore  Him,  receive  Him  into  your  heart,  and  then  when 
Jesus  has  been  your  comfort  in  life,  He  will  be  your  consola- 
tion in  death.  He  will  come  to  visit  you  on  your  death-bed; 
He  will  bless  you  and  be  your  viaticum  on  the  great  journey 
to  eternity.  Then  indeed  will  you  break  forth  into  those  in- 
spired words  of  old  Simeon:  Now  I  will  die  content  and  close 
my  eyes  in  peace,  since  I  have  seen  the  Lord,  who  has  com- 
forted me.  Soon  these  mortal  eyes  will  be  closed  in  death, 
but  the  eyes  of  my  soul  shall  be  opened,  and  I  shall  behold 
my  beloved  Jesus  for  all  eternity. 

FEAST  OF  ST.  JOSEPH. 

(March  19.) 

Gospel.  Matt.  i.  18-21.  When  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  was 
espoused  to  Joseph,  before  they  came  together,  she  was  found  with 
child,  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Whereupon  Joseph  her  husband,  being  a 
just  man,  and  not  willing  publicly  to  expose  her:  was  minded  to  put 
her  away  privately.  But  while  he  thought  on  these  things,  behold 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  his  sleep,  saying:  Joseph, 
son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife:  for  that 
which  is  conceived  in  her,  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  she  shall  bring 
forth  a  Son:  and  thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus:  for  He  shall  save 
His  people  from  their  sins. 

St.  Joseph  is  called  the  foster-father  of  Jesus,  the  pure 
spouse  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  titles  which  we  confer  on 
him,  and  which  carry  with  them  great  and  important  priv- 
ileges. He  alone  was  found  worthy  to  protect  the  Mother  of 
Christ,  the  Daughter  of  the  Father,  and  to  his  loving  rev- 
erence was  entrusted  the  Eedeemer  of  the  world.  From  His 
birth,  Jesus  depended  on  him  for  the  necessities  of  life,  and 
with  what  watchfulness  and  tenderness  did  he  not  fill  his  ex- 
alted position!  To  him  Mary  most  pure,  and  Jesus,  spotless 
Lamb,  gave  obedience  and  respect.  He  was  head  of  that  most 


292  Feast  of  St.  Josejph, 

holy  family  on  earth,  and  is  now  the  model  for  all  fathers  in 
all  ages.  With  what  virtues  was  not  his  soul  adorned,  since 
he  was  found  worthy  of  being  clothed  with  such  dignity! 
Humility,  purity,  patience,  fortitude,  longanimity,  sweetness 
of  character,  and  a  whole  line  of  virtues  must  have  been  found 
in  him  in  an  eminent  degree.  When  God,  my  dear  young 
friends,  raises  some  one  to  a  great  dignity.  He  does  not 
look  at  a  man's  birth,  his  riches,  his  honor  or  his  fame.  He 
regards  the  soul,  the  virtues  which  the  man  practices  and  the 
love  with  which  he  is  filled.  It  is  true  that  St.  Joseph  was 
of  noble  birth,  for  he  was  of  the  royal  house  of  David;  but 
he  was  far  removed  and  was  poor,  and  had  to  gain  his  liveli- 
hood by  working  as  a  carpenter.  While  he  was  poor  in  this 
world's  goods  he  was  rich  in  merit,  and  dear  to  God  for  his 
sanctity  and  love;  therefore  he  was  richly  blessed  with  the 
greatest  graces. 

If  you  are  poor  and  of  little  account  before  the  world,  yet 
love  Our  Lord  with  great  affection,  you  also  will  be  dear  to 
Him  and  He  will  enrich  you  with  His  gifts  and  His  graces. 
Love  Our  Lord,  therefore,  with  all  your  heart  as  did  St. 
Joseph.  Though  St.  Joseph  was  dear  to  Our  Lord,  still  He 
wished  Joseph  to  feel  the  trials  and  afflictions  of  life.  But 
he  also  had  great  consolation.  The  night  Our  Lord  was  bom 
in  the  stable  at  Bethlehem  Joseph's  heart  was  full  of  heavenly 
joy.  Another  great  happiness  was  the  visit  of  the  three  kings 
from  the  East,  who  offered  to  the  new-born  Babe  their 
precious  gifts. 

When  Joseph  arrived  at  Bethlehem  with  Mary,  and  found 
that  after  wandering  from  door  to  door  there  was  no  room  for 
them,  he  felt  sorely  afflicted,  for  he  felt  that  he  had  to  look 
after  the  comfort  of  Our  Lord.  Disappointed  and  fatigued, 
he  had  to  take  refuge  in  a  stable,  in  order  to  provide  shelter 
for  the  divine  Babe.  Great  also  was  his  sorrow  when  he 
heard  the  aged  Simeon  prophesy  that  the  Child  would  be  a 
sign  which  should  be  contradicted,  and  a  sword  of  sorrow 
should  pierce  the  heart  of  Mary,  the  tender  Mother.    What 


The  Festivals  of  the  Yea/r.  293 

dreadful  misgivings  must  he  not  have  felt,  when  in  a  dream 
he  received  the  command  of  the  angel  to  take  the  Child  and 
His  Mother,  and  set  out  for  Egypt,  an  unknown  country, 
where  he  was  to  remain  until  he  was  again  notified;  and  this 
in  order  that  he  might  withdraw  Our  Lord  from  the  per- 
secution of  Herod.  I  think  I  can  see  him,  rising  quickly 
from  his  couch,  and  telling  Mary  to  prepare  for  the  journey. 
In  Egypt  he  had  great  difficulty  to  find  employment,  by 
which  he  might  furnish  the  necessaries  of  life  to  the  dear 
ones  whom  he  had  in  charge.  Nor  was  his  anguish  less  when 
he  was  ordered  back  to  Nazareth,  there  to  open  the  work- 
shop which  had  been  closed  so  long.  What  sorrow  must  he 
have  felt  when  for  the  first  time  he  put  the  plane  and  ham- 
mer into  Our  Lord's  hands.  "  0,  my  Son,"  Joseph  must  have 
said,  "  am  I  such  a  father  to  you  that  I  cannot  provide  what 
is  necessary  for  your  sustenance;  but  that  you,  too,  my  Grod, 
must  work! "  But  his  sorrow  must  have  been  much  alleviated 
when  he  saw  with  what  happiness  and  cheerfulness  Our  Lord 
served  him.  Hence,  while  great  were  his  afflictions,  great  also 
were  his  consolations  in  that  life  of  union  with  Our  Lord. 
God  acts  in  this  way  with  His  saints;  He  does  not  always 
console  them,  nor  does  He  always  afflict  them;  He  distributes 
these  visitations  according  to  the  need  of  the  holy  soul.  He 
does  the  same  to  us,  my  dear  young  people.  He  sends  you 
great  consolation  to  animate  you  in  the  practice  of  virtue,  and 
He  will  send  you  hours  of  consolation,  until  you  cry, 
''  Enough,  0  Lord,  my  happiness  is  too  great."  He  will  send 
you  also  sufferings,  poverty,  dishonor  and  sickness  to  purify 
you  and  make  you  worthy  of  Him,  and  with  it  all  you  shall 
still  have  peace  of  mind,  the  peace  of  God  which  is  beyond 
all  knowledge.  The  greatest  consolation  that  Joseph  had  was 
at  his  death,  at  which  Jesus  and  Mary  were  present.  He  saw 
the  hour  approach  when  he  was  to  leave  the  tender  objects 
of  his  love;  his  eyes  followed  them  with  affection  as  they 
moved  about  the  room  ready  to  minister  to  him.  What  holy 
words  must  have  been  spoken  to  him  by  Jesus  and  Mary! 


294  The  Annunciation, 

They  assisted  him  in  his  agony  and  gave  him  all  possible 
human  relief!  The  death  of  St.  Joseph  was  therefore  most 
consoling,  for  he  truly  died  in  the  embrace  of  Our  Lord. 

Now,  my  dear  young  friends,  you  can  set  before  your  minds 
what  reward  was  granted  to  him,  whose  greatest  privilege  it 
was  to  be  the  foster-father  of  Our  Lord  and  the  protector  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  He  enjoys  in  heaven  all  the  glory 
of  which  a  human  being  is  capable,  near  the  throne  of  his 
foster-Son.  What  demand  will  ever  be  denied  St.  Joseph? 
His  prayers  are  commands  to  God.  St.  Teresa  says,  "I  do 
not  know  that  I  have  ever  asked  anything  of  St.  Joseph  that 
was  not  granted."  Let  us  all  become  his  devout  clients  and 
we  also  will  experience  his  protection.  Our  Lord  said  in  a 
revelation  to  Margaret  of  Cortona,  "  Every  day  make  a  tribute 
of  praise  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  to  my  foster-father,  St. 
Joseph." 

Yes,  my  dear  young  people,  if  you  are  really  devout  in  your 
pious  exercises  to  St.  Joseph,  he  will  obtain  for  you  special 
graces  at  the  hour  of  your  death.  He  will  ask  Jesus  and 
Mary  to  be  present,  and  will  suggest  to  your  heart  the  sweet 
names  of  Jesus,  Mary,  Joseph,  and  you,  too,  will  die  a  happy 
death,  in  the  embrace  of  Our  Lord. 

THE  ANNUNCIATION. 

(March  25.) 

GrOSPEL.  Luke  i.  26-38.  And  in  the  sixth  month,  the  Angel  Gabriel 
was  sent  from  God  into  a  city  of  Galilee,  called  Nazareth,  to  a  virgin 
espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the  house  of  David, 
and  the  virgin's  name  was  Mary.  And  the  angel  being  come  in,  said 
unto  her:  Hail,  full  of  grace:  the  Lord  is  with  thee:  blessed  art 
thou  among  women.  Who  having  heard,  was  troubled  at  his  saying, 
and  thought  with  herself  what  manner  of  salutation  this  should  be. 
And  the  angel  said  to  her:  Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found 
grace  with  God.  Behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  shalt 
bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus.  H©  shall  be 
great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Most  High,  and  the  Lord 


TJie  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  295 

God  shall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  David  his  father:  and  he  shall 
reign  in  the  house  of  Jacob  forever,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall 
be  no  end.  And  Mary  said  to  the  angel:  How  shall  this  be  done,  be- 
cause I  know  not  man?  And  the  angel  answering,  said  to  her:  The 
Holy  Grhost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High 
shall  overshadow  thee.  And  therefore  also  the  Holy  which  shall  be 
born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God.  And  behold  thy  cousin 
Elizsabeth,  she  also  hath  conceived  a  son  in  her  old  age:  and  this  is 
the  sixth  month  with  her  that  is  called  barren:  because  no  word 
shall  be  impossible  with  God.  And  Mary  said:  Behold  the  handmaid 
of  the  Lord,  be  it  done  to  me  according  to  thy  word. 

On"  this  day  the  archangel  Gabriel,  by  God's  command, 
descended  from  heaven  to  the  little  city  of  Nazareth,  to  Mary, 
in  order  to  announce  to  her  the  near  coming  of  the  Eedeemer 
of  the  world.  The  angel  entered  her  little  room,  and  making 
a  reverential  bow,  said,  '^  Hail,  full  of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with 
thee;  blessed  art  thou  among  women.''  No  doubt  the  hum- 
ble virgin  felt  great  perturbation  at  this  sudden  apparition. 
She  was  disturbed  at  the  appearance  of  the  angel,  who  came 
under  the  form  of  a  comely  youth,  and  also  at  the  singular 
announcement.  St.  John  Chrysostom  says  that  Mary  mani- 
fested great  virtues  on  this  occasion,  for  she  heard  the  salu- 
tation with  blushes,  and  instead  of  breaking  out  into  unbe- 
coming joy,  she  appeared,  in  her  humility,  much  concerned 
at  the  speech.  In  truth,  what  greater  praise  could  the  angel 
have  given  her  than  the  words  "Thou  art  full  of  grace"? 
That  fulness  of  grace  supposed  that  she  was  free  from  all  sin; 
a  fulness  of  grace  which  presupposed  the  practice  and  posses- 
sion of  every  virtue,  by  which  Mary  had  become  so  acceptable 
to  God.  That  fulness  of  grace  indicated  that  she  was  more 
privileged  than  the  angels  and  saints.  No  wonder  that  she 
was  so  full  of  grace,  because  the  Lord  was  with  her,  and  she 
was  the  privileged  woman  of  her  sex.  All  generations  shall 
call  her  blessed. 

The  angel  saw  the  maiden's  trouble,  and  to  reassure  her, 
he  said,  "Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found  favor  with 
God.    Behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  shalt 


296  The  Annunciation, 

bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus.  He 
shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Most  High, 
and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  Him  the  throne  of  David 
his  father:  and  He  shall  reign  in  the  house  of  Jacob  forever, 
and  of  His  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end."  What  does  the 
Virgin  answer  to  this  announcement?  "  How  shall  I  become 
the  mother  of  this  great  man,  when  I  have  consecrated  my 
virginity  to  God?"  The  angel  answered,  "The  Holy  Ghost 
shall  come  upon  thee  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall 
overshadow  thee,  and  therefore  also  the  Holy  which  shall  be 
born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God.  Nothing  is 
impossible  to  God;  for  thy  cousin,  St.  Elizabeth,  hath  con- 
ceived in  her  old  age."  Understand,  0  Mary,  that  thou  shalt 
not  conceive  by  the  power  of  a  man  but  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  angel  waits  for  thy  answer;  we  too,  poor 
creatures,  await  your  consent,  which  will  be  the  beginning 
of  our  redemption.  On  thy  word  depends  the  consolation  of 
the  miserable,  the  freedom  of  slaves,  the  liberation  from  the 
sentence  of  eternal  death;  in  short,  the  salvation  of  all  the 
children  of  Adam.  Then  the  Virgin  answered.  "  Behold  the 
handmaid  of  the  Lord,  be  it  done  to  me  according  to  thy 
word."  Then  was  the  word  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us. 
The  angel  joyfully  spread  his  golden  wings  and  hastened  to 
announce  to  the  inhabitants  of  paradise  the  happy  news,  that 
this  glorious  Virgin  had  consented;  that  already  the  incarna- 
tion had  taken  place. 

0  Mary,  I  fall  down  at  thy  feet,  and  thank  thee  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart  for  that  consent.  I  salute  thee  as  the 
Mother  of  my  Eedeemer,  Jesus  Christ;  not  only  do  I  salute 
thee  as  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  but  as  my  Mother  also.  St. 
Francis  de  Sales  exclaimed:  "  How  happy  I  am!  My  Mother, 
the  most  holy  Virgin,  loves  me  as  her  child! "  Have  not  we, 
my  dear  young  friends,  great  reason  to  rejoice,  because  we 
have  so  good  a  mother,  one  so  rich,  and  so  loving,  who  is  all 
powerful  with  her  divine  Son?  Mary  becomes  the  dispenser 
of  all  graces,  and  some  theologians  say  that  God  confers  no 


The  Festwals  of  the  Year.  297 

favors  on  us  except  by  the  hands  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Mary 
is  the  vessel  of  graces,  and  she  gives  them  out  with  generosity 
to  all.  The  benefits  we  have  received,  and  they  are  as  numer- 
ous as  the  sands  on  the  seashore,  all  have  come  to  us  through 
Mary.  The  younger  Father  Segneri  says,  "  As  for  me,  when 
I  consider  the  graces  which  I  have  received  from  Mary,  let 
me  openly  state  to  the  glory  of  my  dear  Mother,  that  I  am 
like  one  of  those  churches,  where  all  the  walls  are  covered 
with  votive  tablets  on  which  I  read,  'For  graces  received, 
for  graces  received.'  So  also,  everywhere  in  my  body  and 
soul  I  find  inscribed,  'by  graces  received,  I  am  well  and 
strong;  by  graces  received,  I  have  been  baptized  and  preserved 
in  the  service  of  God.' " 

You,  my  dear  young  friends,  have  the  same  story  to  tell. 
Health,  life,  good  parents,  good  education,  good  companions 
and  teachers — all  these  blessings  come  to  you  from  Mary. 

Let  us  then  with  a  loud  voice  praise  the  Madonna,  honor 
her  as  well  as  we  can,  think  of  her  often,  call  her  by  the 
endearing  name  of  Mother,  love  her  with  a  tender  affection. 
St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  was  once  asked  how  he  loved  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  ''How  can  I  answer  this  question?"  he 
asked.  "  She  is  my  Mother,  and  what  more  can  I  say?  "  If 
you,  too,  say  with  a  like  affection,  she  is  my  Mother  and 
that  is  why  I  love  her,  she  on  her  part  will  look  upon 
you  as  her  dear  child  and  she  will  love  you  with  a  con- 
stant love;  she  will  defend  you  against  the  enemies  of  your 
salvation,  she  will  cover  you  with  her  mantle,  she  will  bestow 
on  you  her  choicest  blessings  and  will  bring  you  safely  to 
heaven. 

Father  Alphonsus  Salmeron,  a  devout  client  of  Mary,  often 
repeated  on  his  death-bed,  "  To  paradise,  to  paradise!  blessed 
be  the  hour  in  which  I  have  served  Mary;  blessed  are  the 
sermons  which  I  have  heard  in  thy  honor,  0  Mary;  blessed 
be  the  work  I  have  done  for  thee! "  If  you  have  loved  Mary, 
your  Mother,  with  a  true  heart,  you  will  also  confidently  re- 
peat the  same  words,  "  To  paradise,  to  paradise!  blessed  be 
the  hour  in  which  I  have  honored  Mary!  '* 


298  Good  FridoAj, 


GOOD  FRIDAY. 

Gospel.  John  xviii.  and  xix.  At  that  time  Jesus  went  forth  with 
his  disciples  over  the  brook  Cedron,  where  there  was  a  garden,  into 
which  he  and  his  disciples  entered.  And  Judas  also,  who  betrayed 
him,  knew  the  place:  because  Jesus  had  often  resorted  thither  to- 
gether with  his  disciples.  Judas  therefore  having  received  a  band  of 
soldiers,  and  servants  from  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees,  cometh 
thither  with  lanterns  and  torches  and  weapons.  Jesus  therefore  know- 
ing all  things  that  should  come  upon  him,  went  forth,  and  said  to 
them:  Whom  seek  ye?  They  answered  him:  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
Jesus  saith  to  them:  I  am  he.  And  Judas  also,  who  betrayed  him, 
stood  with  them.  As  soon  therefore  as  he  had  said  to  them:  I  am 
he:  they  went  backward,  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Again  therefore 
he  asked  them:  Whom  seek  ye?  And  they  said:  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
Jesus  answered,  I  have  told  you  that  I  am  he.  If  therefore  you  seek 
me,  let  these  go  their  way.  That  the  word  might  be  fulfilled,  which 
he  had  said :  Of  them  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  I  have  not  lost  any 
one.  Then  Simon  Peter  having  a  sword,  drew  it:  and  struck  the 
servant  of  the  high-priest,  and  cut  off  his  right  ear.  And  the  name 
of  the  servant  was  Malchus.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  Peter:  Put  up 
thy  sword  into  the  scabbard.  The  chalice  which  my  father  hath 
given  me,  shall  not  I  drink  it?  Then  the  band  and  the  tribune,  and  the 
servants  of  the  Jews  took  Jesus  and  bound  him:  And  they  led  him 
away  to  Annas  first,  for  he  was  father-in-law  to  Caiphas,  who  was  the 
high-priest  of  that  year.  Now  Caiphas  was  he  who  had  given  the 
counsel  to  the  Jews:  That  it  was  expedient  that  one  man  should 
die  for  the  people.  And  Simon  Peter  followed  Jesus,  and  so  did 
another  disciple.  And  that  disciple  was  known  to  the  high-priest, 
and  went  in  with  Jesus  into  the  court  of  the  high-priest.  But 
Peter  stood  at  the  door  without.  The  other  disciple  therefore  who 
was  known  to  the  high-priest,  went  out,  and  spoke  to  the  portress, 
and  brought  in  Peter.  The  maid  therefore  that  was  portress,  saith  to 
Peter:  Art  not  thou  also  one  of  this  man's  disciples?  He  saith:  I 
am  not.  Now  the  servants  and  ministers  stood  at  a  fire  of  coals,  be- 
cause it  was  cold,  and  warmed  themselves.  And  with  them  was 
Peter  also  standing,  and  warming  himself.  The  high-priest  therefore 
asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples,  and  of  his  doctrine.  Jesus  answered  him : 
I  have  spoken  openly  to  the  world :  I  have  always  taught  in  the  syna- 
gogue and  in  the  temple,  whither  all  the  Jews  resort;  and  in  secret 
I  have  spoken  nothing.  Why  asketh  thou  me?  ask  them  who  have 
heard  what  I  have  spoken  unto  them :   behold  they  know  what  things 


Ths  Festivals  of  tJie  Tear.  299 

I  have  said.  And  when  he  had  said  these  things,  one  of  the  servants 
standing  by,  gave  Jesus  a  blow,  saying:  Answerest  thou  the  high- 
priest  so?  Jesus  answered  him :  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  give  testimony 
of  the  evil :  but  if  well,  why  strikest  thou  me  ?  And  Annas  sent  him 
bound  to  Caiphas  the  high-priest.  And  Simon  Peter  was  standing 
and  warming  himself.  They  said  therefore  to  him:  Art  not  thou 
also  one  of  his  disciples?  He  denied  it  and  said:  I  am  not.  One  of 
the  servants  of  the  high-priest  (a  kinsman  to  him  whose  ear  Peter 
cut  off)  saith  to  him:  Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  him? 
Then  Peter  again  denied:  and  immediately  the  cock  crew.  Then 
they  led  Jesus  from  Caiphas  to  the  governor's  hall.  And  it  was  morn- 
ing: and  they  went  not  into  the  hall,  that  they  might  not  be  defiled, 
but  that  they  might  eat  the  pasch.  Pilate  therefore  went  out  to  them, 
and  said:  What  accusation  bring  you  against  this  man?  They  an- 
swered and  said  to  him:  If  he  were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would  not 
have  delivered  him  up  to  thee.  Pilate  then  said  to  them:  Take  him 
you,  and  judge  him  according  to  your  law.  The  Jews  therefore  said 
to  him:  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death.  That  the 
word  of  Jesus  might  be  fulfilled  which  he  said,  signifying  what  death 
he  should  die.  Pilate  therefore  went  into  the  hall  again,  and  called 
Jesus,  and  said  unto  him:  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews?  Jesus 
answered:  Sayest  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  have  others  told  it 
thee  of  me?  Pilate  answered:  Am  I  a  Jew?  Thy  own  nation,  and 
the  chief-priests  have  delivered  thee  up  to  me:  what  hast  thou  done? 
Jesus  answered:  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  If  my  kingdom 
were  of  this  world,  my  servants  would  certainly  strive  that  I  should 
not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews:  but  now  my  kingdom  is  not  from 
hence.  Pilate  therefore  said  to  him:  Art  thou  a  king  then?  Jesus 
answered:  Thou  sayest,  that  I  am  a  king.  For  this  was  I  born,  and 
for  this  came  I  into  the  world;  that  I  should  give  testimony  to  the 
truth.  Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth,  heareth  my  voice.  Pilate 
saith  to  him:  What  is  truth?  And  when  he  said  this  he  went  out 
again  to  the  Jews,  and  said  to  them :  I  find  no  cause  in  him.  But  you 
have  a  custom  that  I  should  release  one  unto  you  at  the  pasch  j  will 
you  therefore  that  I  release  unto  you  the  king  of  the  Jews?  Then 
cried  they  all  again,  saying:  Not  this  man,  but  Barabbas.  Now 
Barabbas  was  a  robber.  Then  therefore  Pilate  took  Jesus,  and 
scourged  him.  And  the  soldiers  platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  put  it 
upon  his  head:  and  they  put  on  him  a  purple  garment.  And  they 
came  to  him  and  said:  Hail,  king  of  the  Jews:  and  they  gave  him 
blows.  Pilate  therefore  went  forth  again,  and  saith  to  them:  Behold 
I  bring  him  forth  unto  you,  that  you  may  know  that  I  find  no  cause 
in  him.     (Jesus  therefore  came  forth  bearing  the  crown  of  thorns, 


300  Good  Fridwy, 

and  the  purple  garment.)  And  he  saith  to  them:  Behold  the  Man. 
When  the  chief-priests  therefore  and  the  servants  had  seen  him,  they 
cried  out,  saying:  Crucify  him,  crucify  him.  Pilate  saith  to  them: 
Take  him  you,  and  crucify  him:  for  I  find  no  cause  in  him.  The 
Jews  answered  him:  We  have  a  law,  and  according  to  the  law  he 
ought  to  die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of  God.  When  Pilate 
therefore  had  heard  this  saying,  he  feared  the  more.  And  he  entered 
into  the  hall  again:  and  he  said  to  Jesus:  Whence  art  thou?  But 
Jesus  gave  him  no  answer.  Pilate  therefore  said  to  him:  Speakest 
thou  not  to  me?  knowest  thou  not  that  I  have  power  to  crucify  thee, 
and  I  have  power  to  release  thee?  Jesus  answered:  Thou  shouldst 
not  have  any  power  against  me,  unless  it  were  given  thee  from  above. 
Therefore  he  that  hath  delivered  me  to  thee,  hath  the  greater  sin. 
And  from  thenceforth  Pilate  sought  to  release  him.  But  the  Jews 
cried  out,  saying:  If  you  release  this  man,  thou  art  not  Caesar's 
friend;  for  whosoever  maketh  himself  a  king,  speaketh  against 
Csesar. 

Now  when  Pilate  had  heard  these  words,  he  brought  Jesus  forth: 
and  sat  down  in  the  judgment-seat,  in  the  place  that  is  called 
Lithostrotos,  and  in  Hebrew,  Gabbatha.  And  it  was  the  Parasceve 
of  the  Pasch,  about  the  sixth  hour,  and  he  saith  to  the  Jews:  Behold 
your  king?  But  they  cried  out:  Away  with  him,  away  with  him, 
crucify  him.  Pilate  saith  to  them:  Shall  I  crucify  your  king?  The 
chief -priests  answered:  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar.  Then,  there- 
fore, he  delivered  him  to  them  to  be  crucified.  And  they  took  Jesus, 
and  led  him  forth.  And  bearing  his  own  cross,  he  went  forth  to  that 
place  which  is  called  Calvary,  but  in  Hebrew,  Golgotha:  where  they 
crucified  him,  and  with  him  two  others,  one  on  each  side:  and  Jesus 
in  the  midst.  And  Pilate  wrote  a  title  also,  and  he  put  it  upon  the 
cross.  And  the  writing  was,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  king  of  the  Jews. 
This  title  therefore,  many  of  the  Jews  did  read,  because  the  place 
where  Jesus  was  crucified  was  nigh  to  the  city:  and  it  was  written 
in  Hebrew,  in  Greek,  and  in  Latin.  Then  the  chief-priests  of  the 
Jews  said  to  Pilate:  write  not,  The  king  of  the  Jews:  but  that 
he  said,  I  am  the  king  of  the  Jews.  Pilate  answered:  What 
I  have  written,  I  have  written.  The  soldiers,  therefore,  when 
they  had  crucified  him,  took  his  garments  (and  they  made  four 
parts:  to  every  soldier  a  part),  and  also  his  coat.  Now  the  coat 
was  without  seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout.  They  said  then 
one  to  another:  Let  us  not  cut  it,  but  let  us  cast  lots  for  it, 
whose  it  shall  be.  That  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled  saying:  They 
have  parted  my  garments  among  them,  and  upon  my  vesture  they 
have  cast  lot.    And  the  soldiers  indeed  did  these  things.    Now  there 


The  Festivals  of  the  Year.  301 

stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus,  his  mother,  and  his  mother's  sister,  Mary 
of  Cleophas,  and  Mary  Magdalene.  When  Jesus  therefore  saw  his 
mother,  and  the  disciple,  standing,  whom  he  loved,  he  saith  to  his 
mother:  Woman,  behold  thy  son.  After  that,  he  saith  to  the  disciple: 
Behold  thy  mother.  And  from  that  hour  the  disciple  took  her  to  his 
own.  Afterwards  Jesus  knowing  that  all  things  were  now  accom- 
plished, that  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  said:  I  thirst.  Now 
there  was  a  vessel  set  there  full  of  vinegar.  And  they  put  a  sponge 
full  of  vinegar,  about  hyssop,  and  put  it  to  his  mouth.  Jesus  there- 
fore when  he  had  taken  the  vinegar,  said:  It  is  consummated.  And 
bowing  his  head,  he  gave  up  the  ghost. 

\Eere  all  kneel,  and  pause  a  little,  to  meditate  on  the  redemption 
of  mankind.] 

Then  the  Jews  (because  it  was  the  Parasceve),  that  the  bodies 
might  not  remain  upon  the  cross  on  the  sabbath-day  (for  that  was  a 
great  sabbath-day),  besought  Pilate  that  their  legs  might  be  broken, 
and  that  they  might  be  taken  away.  The  soldiers,  therefore,  came: 
and  they  broke  the  legs  of  the  first,  and  of  the  other  that  was  cruci- 
fied with  him.  But  after  they  were  come  to  Jesus,  when  they  saw 
that  he  was  already  dead,  they  did  not  break  his  legs.  But  one  of  the 
soldiers  with  a  spear  opened  his  side,  and  immediately  there  came 
out  blood  and  water.  And  he  that  saw  it  hath  given  testimony:  and 
his  testimony  is  true.  And  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true:  that 
you  also  may  believe.  For  these  things  were  done  that  the  Scripture 
might  be  fulfilled.  You  shall  not  break  a  bone  of  him:  And  again 
another  Scripture  saith:    They  shall  look  on  him  whom  they  pierced. 

[Here  the  prayer  Munda  cor  meum  from  the  Ordinary  of  the  Mass 
is  said.] 

And  after  these  things,  Joseph  of  Arimathea  (because  he  was  a 
disciple  of  Jesus,  but  secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews)  besought  Pilate 
that  he  might  take  away  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  Pilate  gave  leave. 
He  came  therefore  and  took  away  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  Nico- 
demus  also  came,  he  who  at  the  first  came  to  Jesus  by  night,  bring- 
ing a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  about  a  hundred  pound  weight. 
They  took  therefore  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  bound  it  in  linen  cloths 
with  the  spices,  as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury.  Now  there 
was  in  the  place  where  he  was  crucified  a  garden:  and  in  the  garden 
a  new  sepulchre,  wherein  no  man  yet  had  been  laid.  There,  therefore, 
because  of  the  Parasceve  of  the  Jews,  they  laid  Jesus;  because  the 
sepulchre  was  nigh  at  hand. 


302  Th^  Passion  of  Ov/r  Lord. 


THE  PASSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

To-day  I  will  relate  to  you  not  the  glories  and  triumphs, 
but  the  ignominies,  the  sorrows,  the  sufferings,  the  death  of 
our  divine  Redeemer  Jesus  Christ.  It  should  be  told  with 
tears;  but  alas,  we  do  not  feel  so  sensibly  the  afflictions  of 
Our  Lord,  nor  have  we  such  lively  sympathy  for  Him  that  we 
can  shed  tears.  Still  it  has  happened  that  holy  preachers 
could  not  speak  of  the  Passion  without  weeping.  Father 
Louis  of  Grenada  ascended  the  pulpit  one  Good  Friday  to 
preach  on  the  Passion.  He  gave  out  the  subject  of  his  dis- 
course, ^'The  Passion  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  but  he 
broke  out  into  a  loud  wail,  and  could  not  proceed;  after  a 
while,  calming  his  feelings,  he  again  began  and  spoke  for  a 
time  on  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord,  and  told  how  He  suffered 
for  sinners  and  for  His  enemies;  but  he  again  broke  down, 
and  this  time  he  could  resume  only  in  accents  broken  by 
bitter  tears,  and,  finally,  was  obliged  to  leave  the  pulpit. 
Such  was  the  effect  of  his  tears  on  his  listeners  that  they  also 
could  not  restrain  their  lamentations.  If  you  listen  atten- 
tively to  my  recital,  you,  too,  will  feel  moved,  and  will  feel 
contrition  for  your  sins,  which  in  reality  were  the  cause  of 
the  Passion  and  death  of  Christ. 

After  Our  Lord  had  fed  His  disciples  on  His  own  flesh, 
and  had  given  them  His  own  sacred  blood  to  drink.  He  turned 
with  inexpressible  love  to  them,  and  said,  "  My  dear  children. 
My  disciples,  I  have  but  little  time  left  to  remain  with  you. 
I  must  now  leave  you;  but  love  one  another  and  wish  one 
another  that  good  which  I  have  desired  for  you.  Do  not  weep; 
I  will  not  leave  you  orphans,  I  will  send  you  the  Holy  Ghost: 
it  is  time  now  to  depart;  rise."  Then  leaving  the  cenacle 
He  crossed  the  brook  Cedron  and  entered  the  garden  of  Geth- 
semani,  at  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Here  He  remained 
with  His  three  faithful  disciples,  Peter,  James  and  John. 
"My  dear  disciples,"  He  said;   *'My  soul  is  sorrowful  even 


The  Festivals  of  the  Year.  303 

unto  death;  stay  you  here  and  watch.''  Then  He  prayed  to 
His  divine  Father  that  the  bitter  chalice  of  His  Passion  might 
pass  by,  but  *^  Thy  will  be  done  and  not  Mine."  Prostrate 
on  the  ground  He  began  to  sweat  blood.  His  clothes  were 
saturated  with  it,  the  earth  drank  it  in.  Who  is  at  His  side 
to  comfort  Him?  ISTo  one;  not  even  His  Apostles  or  disciples. 
Now  we  see  a  band  coming,  headed  by  that  ungrateful  disciple 
Judas,  with  orders  from  the  synagogue  to  apprehend  Our 
Lord.  Ah,  my  dear  Lord,  Thou  art  delivered  to  the  Jews 
by  a  once  beloved  disciple.  See  that  sacrilegious  man  im- 
pressing a  kiss  on  the  innocent  Master!  Jesus  calls  Judas 
by  the  name  of  friend,  in  order  that  He  might  perhaps  revive 
sentiments  of  former  intimacy  and  love.  We  see,  dear  Lord, 
that  Thou  dost  feel  for  that  unfortunate  wretch,  who  is  about 
to  lose  his  soul,  and  Thou  dost  not  spare  the  invitation,  that 
he  might  repent  of  the  step  already  taken;  but  Judas  is  the 
slave  of  avarice.  There  is  nothing  harder  than  the  heart  of 
an  avaricious  man.  Judas  had  received  the  body  and  blood 
of  his  divine  Master  with  a  soul  stained  with  sin,  and  when 
a  man  has  been  guilty  of  this  great  crime,  there  is  no  excess  to 
which  he  will  not  go. 

Our  Lord  asked  the  band  of  soldiers  and  ruffians  whom 
they  sought.  They  said,  ^^  Jesus."  He  said,  "  I  am  He; "  and 
at  these  words  all  fell  backward  to  the  ground.  Peter,  in  his 
zeal  for  the  defense  of  the  Master,  drew  his  sword,  and  cut 
off  the  ear  of  the  servant  of  the  high-priest.  He  was  repre- 
hended for  this  hasty  action  by  Our  Lord,  who  healed  the 
servant  on  the  spot.  Now  they  come  on  with  great  violence; 
they  bind  Jesus,  and  drag  Him  to  the  court,  and  though  He 
is  declared  innocent.  He  is  bound  to  the  column  of  flagellation 
to  be  scourged;  you  hear  the  dull  sounds  of  the  lash,  the 
repeated  blows  of  the  heavy  scourges,  the  loud  breathing  of 
the  soldiers,  who  are  putting  all  their  strength  into  the  pun- 
ishment. Jesus  is  now  pale  and  trembling;  streams  of  blood 
flow  from  every  member  of  His  body;  the  column  is  covered 
with  blood;  blood  is  spattered  on  the  faces  and  clothes  of  the 


304:  The  Passion  of  Our  Lord. 

executioners;  the  floor  is  red  with  it.  The  number  of  stripes 
run  up  to  the  thousands,  so  that  this  divine  Eedeemer  has  lost 
all  likeness  to  a  man,  He  is  one  wound  from  head  to  foot.  The 
executioners,  in  the  mean  time,  continue  their  scourging; 
and  when  one  body  of  men  is  tired,  another  takes  its  place. 
Jesus  suffers  all  in  silence.  What  barbarity  and  unheard  of 
cruelty!  My  sins  and  yours,  my  dear  friends,  thus  chastise 
the  innocent  body  of  Jesus,  especially  those  grave  sins  of  im- 
purity. When  this  cruel  scourging  was  ended,  the  wicked 
Jews  formed  a  circle  around  Our  Lord,  and  in  their  barbarity 
invented  other  tortures;  they  plaited  a  crown  of  sharp  thorns 
and  pressed  it  down  on  His  head,  and  over  His  temples,  so 
that  the  thorns  penetrated  deep  into  the  flesh.  What  great 
suffering  did  Jesus  endure  in  this!  Then  they  put  on  Him 
some  old  purple  rags,  placed  a  reed  in  His  hand,  bandaged 
His  eyes,  and  genuflected  before  Him,  saying,  "  Hail,  King 
of  the  Jews."  They  spat  on  Him,  struck  Him  in  the  face, 
and  then  asked,  "Who  is  it  that  struck  Thee?"  0,  un- 
created wisdom!  0,  infinite  majesty!  0,  omnipotent  power 
of  my  God!  to  what  lowliness  hast  Thou  been  reduced! 

In  this  manner  do  those  youths  treat  Our  Lord  who  pub- 
licly blaspheme  God  and  His  holy  religion.  So  horribly  dis- 
figured was  our  divine  Eedeemer  that  Pilate  thought  he  might 
easily  induce  the  bloodthirsty  crowd  of  Jews  to  have  some 
pity  if  he  brought  Him  forth  and  showed  Him  to  them.  This 
he  did,  and  pointing  to  Our  Lord  exclaimed,  "Behold  the 
man!"  You  feared  He  would  make  Himself  king,  but  see 
to  what  a  condition  He  is  reduced!  He  has  been  treated  worse 
than  a  slave.  Does  not  this  pitiful  figure  move  you  to  com- 
passion? But  they  cried  out,  more  like  tigers  than  men, 
"Crucify  Him!  crucify  Him!"  Then  Pilate  said,  "Whom 
will  you  that  I  release  to  you:  Barabbas,  or  Jesus  that  is  called 
Christ?"  And  they  preferred  Barabbas,  an  infamous  thief 
and  murderer. 

Our  divine  Eedeemer  is  unjustly  condemned  to  death,  the 
death  of  the  cross.    He  embraces  it,  places  it  on  His  shoulders 


The  Festvvals  of  the  Year,  303 

and  begins  the  dreadful  journey  to  Calvary.  Falling  several 
times  under  the  great  weight  of  the  cross  He  is  assisted  by 
the  Cyrenian,  and  He  continues  His  sorrowful  journey,  fol- 
lowed by  a  crowd  of  weeping  women,  to  whom  Our  Lord  says: 
"Weep  not  for  Me,  but  weep  for  yourselves  and  for  your 
children."  On  the  way  Our  Lord  meets  His  sorrowful  Mother. 
Jesus  looks  upon  her  and  Mary  regards  Jesus.  What  a  meet- 
ing between  Mother  and  Son!  Mary  continues  the  journey 
with  Jesus  to  the  summit  of  Calvary.  When  He  had  arrived 
there,  the  executioners  attack  Our  Lord  with  fury;  tear  His 
garments  from  Him,  and  strip  Him  naked.  His  wounds  are 
torn  open  anew,  and  the  blood  streams  from  them  again.  0 
cruel  soldiers,  why  use  such  violence  on  this  innocent  Lamb, 
who  is  so  willing  to  stretch  Himself  on  the  cross  and  to  be 
nailed  to  it!  They  seize  Him,  and  force  Him  down,  kneel 
on  His  breast,  and  violently  draw  His  arms,  with  cords,  over 
the  cross-beam;  another  comes  with  a  hammer  and  a  great 
iron  nail,  and  this  at  the  first  stroke  enters  into  the  palm  of 
His  hand,  opening  veins  and  arteries;  they  do  the  same  to 
His  other  hand  and  to  His  feet.  0,  what  were  the  sufferings 
which  Our  Lord  endured  in  His  crucifixion!  When  the  Jews 
had  nailed  Him  to  the  cross,  they  sent  up  shouts  of  victory; 
raised  the  cross  to  the  view  of  all,  and  then  let  it  suddenly 
sink  into  the  hole  prepared  to  make  it  stand  upright.  Those 
executioners,  instead  of  feeling  the  least  sympathy  for  Jesus, 
now  stand  before  the  cross,  blaspheming  and  reviling  Him; 
but  Our  Lord  raises  His  eyes  to  His  Father  in  heaven,  and 
begs  pardon  for  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.  Then 
Our  Lord  hears  the  prayer  of  the  penitent  thief,  and  turning 
to  him  a  countenance  full  of  love.  He  promises  that  this  day 
he  shall  be  with  Him  in  paradise.  My  dear  young  friends 
who  have  sinned,  Jesus  has  His  ears  open  ready  to  hear  you, 
His  arms  are  extended  to  receive  you;  He  has  welcomed  the 
thief.  He  will  also  receive  you  with  open  arms,  provided  you 
ask  pardon  for  your  sins. 

Then  Jesus  turns  His  face  to  His  beloved  Mother  and  to 


306  The  Passion  of  Our  Lord, 

His  disciple  John,  and  says,  "  Woman,  behold  thy  son;  son, 
behold  thy  Mother/'  In  doing  this  He  commended  us  all  as 
His  children  to  Mary  our  Mother.  Thus  hanging  on  the 
cross,  all  covered  with  wounds,  the  last  drop  of  His  blood 
draining  from  His  body,  thirsty  with  exhaustion  and  from 
love  of  our  souls,  Jesus  cries  out,  ^'  I  thirst/'  And  they  give 
Him  wine  mixed  with  gall.  Yes,  my  dear  Lord,  we  under- 
stand; you  call  for  our  souls;  we  give  them  to  you;  you  wish 
to  call  us  to  our  salvation,  and  we  desire  it  also. 

All  at  once  the  sun  is  darkened,  the  whole  earth  is  clothed 
in  darkness,  and  trembles  with  a  great  earthquake.  Jesus 
now  wishes  to  die  and  cries  out  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Father, 
into  Thy  hands  I  commend  My  spirit.  It  is  consummated," 
and  inclining  His  head.  He  gives  up  the  ghost. 

Jesus  is  dead,  that  dear  Jesus,  who  was  bom  for  us  in  the 
poor  stable  at  Bethlehem.  He  is  dead,  who  loved  us  so  much, 
who  labored  so  hard  to  instruct  us;  He  who  worked  so  many 
miracles;  -w^ho  travelled  up  and  down  through  the  land  of 
the  Jews,  doing  good  everywhere.  The  most  beautiful,  the 
dearest,  the  most  amiable  Son  of  man  has  died  on  the  cross 
for  us.  0,  barbarous  Jews,  what  have  you  done?  You  have 
committed  murder  on  the  Son  of  God,  the  Author  of  life! 
But,  no,  not  the  Jews  only — we,  also,  blind  sinners,  have  done 
this  to  the  Son  of  God.  Isaias  says,  "  He  was  wounded  for 
our  iniquities.  He  was  bruised  for  our  sins."  All  these  cruel- 
ties that  were  inflicted  on  Him  were  the  work  of  our  hands. 

St.  Teresa  wrote  her  general  confession  on  a  sheet  of  paper, 
and  then  taking  the  crucifix  in  her  hand  and  casting  a  sorrow- 
ful look  at  it,  said:  "What  have  I  done?"  She  looked  at 
the  wounds  in  His  hands  and  feet  and  then  at  the  paper, 
^^  What  have  I  done  ?  "  A  look  at  the  head  crowned  with 
thorns,  at  the  side  opened  with  a  lance,  "Ah!  what  have  I 
done?"  She  then  fell  on  the  floor  in  a  swoon,  and  lay  as 
one  dead.  Her  sisters  rushed  in  and  administered  restora- 
tives, and  coming  to  she  again  cried  out:  "What  have  I 
done?  "    Should  not  this  be  our  sorrow  also?    What  have  we 


The  Festwals  of  the  Tea/t.  307 

done?  How  often  have  we  forced  the  crown  of  thorns  on 
that  sacred  head  by  our  bad  thoughts?  How  often  have  we 
driven  great  nails  into  the  hands  and  feet  of  the  Lord  by 
our  sins?  How  often  have  we  given  Our  Lord  vinegar  and 
gall  to  drink,  by  our  scandalous  language?  How  often  have 
we  pierced  the  side  of  Our  Lord,  by  corrupting  souls?  0, 
Lord  Jesus,  have  mercy  on  us,  forgive  us  the  sins  we  have 
committed  against  Thee;  never  again  will  we  renew  Thy 
Passion  and  death;  we  shall  constantly  bewail  our  faults;  we 
shall  live  for  Thy  glory,  and  we  shall  always  love  Thee  with 
all  our  hearts. 


THE  ASCElSrSION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

Gospel.  Mark  xvi.  14-20.  At  that  time  as  the  eleven  were  at  the 
table,  Jesus  appeared  to  them,  and  upbraided  them  with  their  in- 
credulity and  hardness  of  heart:  because  they  did  not  believe  them 
who  had  seen  him  after  he  was  risen  again.  And  he  said  to  them: 
Go  ye  into  the  whole  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 
He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved:  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  shall  be  condemned.  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them 
that  believe:  In  my  name  they  shall  cast  out  devils:  they  shall 
speak  with  new  tongues:  they  shall  take  up  serpents:  and  if  they 
shall  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them:  they  shall  lay 
their  hands  upon  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover.  And  the  Lord 
Jesus,  after  he  had  spoken  to  them,  was  taken  up  into  heaven,  and 
sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  But  they  going  forth  preached 
everywhere,  the  Lord  working  withal,  and  confirming  the  word  with 
signs  that  followed. 

Aptek  Our  Lord  had  consoled  the  Apostles  by  appearing 
to  them  at  different  times,  and  by  wishing  them  peace,  He 
declared  at  last  that  He  was  about  to  leave  this  world  and 
ascend  to  heaven  "  to  prepare  a  place  for  them." 

On  this  day,  for  the  last  time,  He  came  to  visit  the  Apostles. 
He  promised  to  send  them  the  divine  Spirit,  the  Spirit  of 
strength  and  wisdom.  He  said  that  the  time  had  arrived  for 
Him  to  go  from  them  to  remain  in  the  enjoyment  of  His 


308  Hie  Ascension  of  Our  Lord, 

peace.  He  raised  His  hands,  blessed  them,  and  tpok  leave  of 
them  all,  as  well  as  of  His  dear  Mother.  He  then  conducted 
them  to  the  Mount  of  Olives.  There  they  listened  to  His 
words,  with  their  eyes  fixed  upon  Him,  when  suddenly  He 
was  raised  above  them;  higher  and  higher  still  He  was  borne, 
until  a  light  cloud  withdrew  Him  from  their  sight.  While 
they  were  beholding  Him  going  up  to  heaven,  suddenly  two 
angels  stood  by  them,  who  said,  "Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why 
stand  you  looking  up  to  heaven?  "  This  same  Jesus  whom 
you  have  just  seen  ascending  into  heaven  will  return  again 
at  the  end  of  the  world  to  judge  mankind.  He  will  then  ap- 
pear in  the  same  form  in  which  you  have  just  seen  Him.  You 
ought  then,  my  dear  young  friends,  joyfully  do  all  that  He 
has  commanded  you  before  He  left  you,  that  you  may  be  well 
received  by  Him  on  His  return.  The  disciples  fell  to  the 
ground  and  adored  their  Lord  and  Master,  and  then  returned 
to  Jerusalem;  where  they  retired  to  a  quiet  place,  and  re- 
mained in  prayer  until  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

My  dear  young  people,  who  can  imagine  the  great  triumph 
with  which  the  King  of  glory  was  received  on  His  entrance 
into  heaven.  The  whole  court  of  heaven  was  there,  ready 
to  meet  its  Master  and  Creator.  All  came  forward  to  make 
their  submission  to  the  great  Conqueror  of  the  world  and  the 
devil,  who  has  returned  in  triumph.  These  good  souls  must 
have  been  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  when  they  saw  the  great  Hero; 
they  looked  with  wonder  on  those  wounds,  which  shone  like 
stars.  As  He  entered  heaven  they  joined  Him  singing  hymns 
and  canticles  to  the  great  glory  of  God;  then  they  conducted 
Him  to  His  throne  in  heaven,  where  He  sits  at  the  right  hand 
of  His  Father. 

Our  Lord,  my  dear  young  friends,  left  this  world  and 
ascended  into  heaven,  to  prepare  a  place  for  us;  we  had  lost 
heaven,  but  He  regained  it  for  us.  He  again  opened  heaven 
to  us,  that  pleasant,  happy  place,  which  will  be  our  home 
for  all  eternity.  As  long  as  we  live  on  this  earth,  we  shall 
have  to  suffer  many  evils,  sickness,  and,  finally,  death,  but 


The  Festwals  of  the  Yea/r*,  30d 

in  heaven  we  shall  have  everything;  riches,  happiness,  en- 
joyment; we  shall  be  inebriated  with  torrents  of  delight. 
The  angels  will  be  our  companions,  the  saints  will  be  there, 
and  Mary  and  Jesus,  too.  We  shall  enjoy  the  happiness  that 
God  gives;  we  shall  see  God's  omnipotence,  with  which  He 
created  heaven  and  earth;  we  shall  see  His  wisdom  and  provi- 
dence, by  which  all  created  things  are  governed;  we  shall  see 
all  the  perfections  and  attributes  of  God  clearly.  We  shall  then 
see  the  Son  of  God  in  the  Godhead,  and  Jesus  in  His  divine 
person.  We  shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  shall 
see  God  in  the  splendor  of  His  glory  on  a  throne  of  majesty; 
the  centre  and  source  of  all  the  joy  and  brightness  of  heaven. 
If  one  little  drop  of  that  heavenly  joy  should  fall  from  heaven 
into  hell,  it  would  sweeten  the  dreadful  pains  that  are  felt 
there. 

But,  my  dear  young  friends,  remember  that  if  you  wish  to 
attain  the  possession  of  this  happiness  and  to  reign  with  Jesus, 
you  must  not  look  for  your  heaven  here  on  this  earth;  those 
^'who  enjoy  this  world  will  hardly  enjoy  heaven.  Many  wish 
to  give  full  sway  to  their  passions  here,  and  then  expect  to 
have  the  reward  of  heaven  also.  But  they  are  foolish,  for  if 
they  indulge  their  passions  here  in  this  world,  they  defile  their 
souls,  and  cannot  enter  heaven.  If  you  want  to  get  to  heaven, 
keep  the  law  of  God,  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Church, 
observe  the  laws  of  the  state,  and  you  will  have  a  right  to  its 

joys. 

Not  only  should  we  observe  the  commandments  of  God, 
but  we  must  also  join  to  it  the  imitation  of  Jesus  Christ  if 
jwe  wish  to  possess  the  place  which  He  has  prepared  for  us 
in  heaven.  My  dear  children,  Jesus  Christ  is  the  model  that 
is  set  before  us  and  we  must  imitate  Him  just  as  the  artist 
does  who  has  a  model  before  him;  he  marks  the  outlines, 
and  then  faithfully  follows  every  lineament,  every  particular 
feature  with  the  most  scrupulous  exactness.  Have  you  so 
far  endeavored  to  model  your  lives  on  that  of  Jesus  Christ? 
"Put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  so  that  those  who  see 


310  The  Ascension  of  Our  Lord, 

you  will  say,  ^^  this  is  a  faithful  imitator  of  the  divine  Master." 
It  is  easy  to  recognize  the  original  and  the  faithful  copy. 

Jesus,  my  dear  young  people,  is  the  lily  of  the  valley,  the 
immaculate  Lamb.  Here  is  a  very  important  virtue.  Do 
you  possess  that  scrupulous  purity  of  thought  and  action 
which  renders  man  like  the  angels?  Jesus  was  obedient, 
obedient  even  unto  death.  What  are  the  inclinations  which 
most  young  people  follow?  They  are  disobedient  and  re- 
bellious, independent  and  loving  liberty;  they  are  constantly 
looking  for  pleasure,  so  that  life  loses  the  necessary  serious- 
ness which  belongs  to  it.  What  a  difference  between  their 
life  and  that  of  Christ!  Your  whole  effort,  my  dear  chil- 
dren, should  be  to  imitate  Jesus  in  the  purity  of  His  life, 
in  His  obedience  to  the  divine  will,  and  His  respect  for 
authority.  Lead  a  mortified  life,  joyfully  accepting  all  the 
trials  you  may  meet  with  here  on  this  earth,  and  then  shall 
come  true  as  St.  Paul  says,  "As  you  are  partakers  of  the 
sufferings,  so  shall  you  be  also  of  the  consolation." 

A  young  man  once  came  to  St.  Jerome  and  said  he  desired 
to  abandon  the  world,  to  follow  Jesus  and  to  imitate  Him. 
He  was  rich.  St.  Jerome  voluntarily  accepted  him  among  his 
disciples,  but  he  took  him  aside  and  gave  him  a  little  in- 
struction. First  he  said,  "  Son,  our  life  is  a  very  hard  one, 
as  you  see;  we  have  no  shoes,  our  clothes  are  coarse,  we  have 
to  bear  the  cold  and  the  heat  in  our  houses;  to  endure  abuses 
and  hard  words  from  people  and  violent  temptations  from  the 
devil.  I  know  not  whether  you  can  endure  all  this;  you  seem 
to  have  been  brought  up  tenderly  and  in  luxury."  The  young 
man  answered,  "Am  I  more  delicate  than  Jesus  was  when 
He  walked  about  without  shoes,  suffered  hunger  and  thirst, 
cold  and  heat,  many  persecutions  and  at  last  death?  He  has 
promised  to  help  me:  had  I  twenty  bodies  I  would  sacrifice 
them  all  for  His  love." 

0,  my  dear  young  people,  if  you  will  reflect  seriously  but 
for  a  moment,  you  will  see  that  the  imitation  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  a  necessity.    "  I  have  given  you  an  example  that  as  I  have 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tea/r,  811 

done  to  you,  so  you  do  also."  Jesus  desires  you  all  to  be  in 
paradise.  Do  you  not  wish  to  go  there?  Yes,  certainly; 
everybody  expects  to  go  to  heaven;  it  is  the  greatest  insult 
even  to  intimate  to  your  friend  that  there  is  a  danger  of  his 
going  to  hell. 

Do,  then,  as  the  Apostles  did.  When  they  saw  Our  Lord 
ascend  and  taken  away  from  them  their  hearts  followed  Him 
because  they  had  no  interest  except  in  the  glory  of  Jesus  and 
the  spread  of  His  kingdom  on  earth.  They  desired  trials, 
torments,  persecutions,  even  violent  deaths  in  order  to  be 
the  sooner  with  Christ.  They  disliked  the  world  and  all  its 
vanities.  Let  us  not  put  our  love  on  the  things  of  this  earth; 
let  us  look  up  to  heaven,  where  our  home  is.  Let  us  suffer, 
let  us  labor  hard,  let  us  employ  all  our  time  in  this  life,  and 
so  deserve  a  heavenly  reward. 

FEAST  OF  ST.  ALOYSIUS  GONZAGA. 

(June  21.) 

Gk)SPEL.  Matt.  xxii.  29-40.  At  that  time,  Jesus  answering  said  to 
the  Sadducees:  You  err,  not  knowing  the  Scriptures,  nor  the  power 
of  God.  For  in  the  resurrection  they  shall  neither  marry  nor  be 
married:  but  shall  be  as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven.  And  concern- 
ing the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  have  you  not  read  that  which  was 
spoken  by  God  saying  to  you:  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the 
God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob?  He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead, 
but  of  the  living.  And  the  multitudes  hearing  it  were  in  admiration 
at  his  doctrine.  But  the  Pharisees  hearing  that  he  had  silenced  the 
Sadducees,  came  together.  And  one  of  them,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  asked 
him,  tempting  him :  Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  in  the 
law?  Jesus  said  to  him:  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
thy  whole  heart,  and  with  thy  whole  aoul,  and  with  thy  whole  mind. 
This  is  the  greatest  and  the  first  commandment.  And  the  second 
is  like  to  this :  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these  two 
commandments  dependeth  the  whole  law  and  the  prophets. 

Cakdinal  Baronius,  a  holy  and  learned  man,  visiting  the 
tomb  of  St.  Aloysius  shortly  after  the  saint's  death"  cried. 


312  Feast  of  Bt,  Aloysius  Gonzaga, 

'^  This  is  a  saint!  this  is  a  saint! "  He  was  firmly  persuaded 
that  in  consideration  of  his  beautiful  life  Aloysius  would  be 
canonized,  and  the  Cardinal  could  not  refrain  from  publicly 
calling  him  a  saint. 

Mary  Magdalen  of  Pazzi  saw  in  one  of  her  ecstasies  the 
beatitude  and  glory  of  our  saint  in  heaven,  and  cried  out, 
"  How  great  is  the  glory  of  Aloysius,  the  son  of  Ignatius!  I 
should  never  have  believed  that  there  was  so  much  glory  in 
store  for  a  saint,  had  I  not  seen  it.  I  had  not  thought  it  pos- 
sible that  there  could  be  so  much  glory  in  heaven.  I  tell  you, 
Aloysius  is  a  great  saint,  and  I  would  like  to  publish  it  to  the 
w'hole  world.'^ 

I  rejoice,  my  dear  young  people,  that  I  can  speak  to  you 
of  so  great  a  saint  as  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga,  to  whom  you  are 
already  so  devoted,  and  whose  virtues  you  study  to  imitate 
in  your  lives.  Permit  me  to  prove  to  you  that  though  he  was 
an  angel  by  his  innocence,  he  still  practiced  the  most  severe 
penances. 

From  his  earliest  youth  St.  Aloysius  led  a  most  exact  and 
singularly  innocent  life.  You  see  him  when  he  can  hardly 
walk  going  off  by  himself  to  some  solitary  place  to  pray, 
kneeling  down  before  God  with  his  little  hands  joined.  The 
first  words  which  he  spoke  were  Jesus  and  Mary.  Early  in 
life  he  cared  not  for  the  sports  that  boys  delight  in,  but  in- 
stead he  loved  prayer  and  silence;  his  delight  was  in  prayer 
and  in  the  crucified  Lord.  Oh,  that  I  could  describe  to  you 
how  devoutly  he  prayed  in  his  room  before  the  crucifix!  He 
was  like  a  young  Samuel  who  was  constantly  in  the  temple 
of  God.  Aloysius  often  left  his  companions  and  went  to 
church,  where  he  was  found  in  adoration  of  Our  Lord  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  with  such  exterior  devotion  that  people 
wondered  that  one  so  young  could  have  so  much  piety.  Older 
people  became  ashamed  that  they  were  less  devout  and  they 
could  not  take  their  eyes  from  him,  so  charmed  were  they  with 
his  modesty  and  devotion. 

When  Aloysius  was  nine  years  old  he  made  a  pilgrimage  to 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  313 

the  shrine  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  of  the  Annunciation  at 
Florence,  a  famous  pilgrimage  of  that  day,  and  there  made  a 
vow  of  chastity.  The  holy  virtue  of  purity,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  he  preserved  with  most  scrupulous 
care.  You  might  say  that  this  was  the  great  act  of  his  life, 
for  so  great  was  his  purity  that  he  was  called  by  all  an  angel. 
So  great  was  it  that  not  only  did  he  not  in  his  whole  life  stain 
this  robe  of  innocence,  but  he  never  even  had  a  temptation 
against  this  great  virtue,  not  even  in  thought. 

Living  in  the  midst  of  the  splendors  of  the  court  he  cared 
nothing  for  them.  He  had  his  mind  always  fixed  on  God,  and 
was  always  impressed  with  God's  presence.  He  lived  in  the 
court  in  quietness,  and  when  he  could  be  spared  from  his 
duties  he  remained  in  his  room  occupied  in  prayer.  So  great 
was  his  union  with  God,  that  five  or  six  times  he  was  found 
in  ecstasy  in  his  meditation.  He  had  such  an  abhorrence  for 
the  things  of  this  world  and  its  vanities,  that  ordinarily  he 
dressed  in  common  clothes.  When  he  was  asked  why  he  did 
not  use  one  of  his  magnificent  uniforms,  he  answered  that 
it  was  part  of  the  pomp  of  the  world,  which  he  had  long 
since  renounced  at  his  baptism.  "Life,"  said  he,  "is  short, 
and  is  given  to  me  only  to  gain  heaven.  What  good  can  come 
from  the  enjoyment  of  the  frivolities  and  pleasures  of  the 
court,  when  they  will  have  to  end  so  shortly?  I  renounce  all. 
I  do  not  desire  riches  or  pleasures.  I  wish  to  rejoice  in  God 
alone,  in  a  sweet  retirement  from  the  world." 

At  this  time  he  made  up  his  mind  to  renounce  the  world 
altogether,  and  join  the  sons  of  Ignatius;  but  in  the  execu- 
tion of  this  resolution  he  met  with  much  opposition  from  his 
father,  who  did  not  relish  the  loss  of  so  good  a  son.  But 
Aloysius  begged  and  pleaded  and  wept,  and  at  last  he  ob- 
tained his  father's  consent.  He  entered  the  house  of  the 
novitiate  and,  with  joy  expressed  on  his  countenance,  cried 
out,  "  Oh,  holy  place!  object  of  all  my  desires!  This  is  my 
habitation  for  life! "  If  Aloysius  understood  so  well  how  to 
preserve  his  innocence  in  the  midst  of  the  corruption  of  the 


814  Feast  of  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga, 

court  and  the  world,  you,  too,  should  be  faithful  to  your 
religion  and  from  day  to  day  make  progress  in  the  work  of 
the  sanctification  of  your  souls. 

Aloysius  kept  such  a  rigid  and  penitential  life  that  one 
cannot  but  wonder  that  a  youth  so  high  born,  so  delicate,  could 
endure  it.  At  eleven  years  he  practiced  such  fasts  as  would 
hardly  be  credited.  Sometimes  an  Qgg  sufficed  him  for  the 
single  meal  of  a  day.  On  Friday  he  contented  himself  with  a 
little  bread  and  water.  His  meals,  in  fact,  never  exceeded  an 
ounce  of  food,  at  an  age  when  most  boys,  on  account  of  their 
appetites,  cannot  get  enough  to  eat.  No  hermit  ever  lived 
a  more  mortified  life  than  St.  Aloysius.  We  wonder  at  the 
continuous  fasts  of  a  Paul  the  Hermit,  or  an  Anthony,  but 
they  were  no  greater  than  the  fasts  of  Aloysius  at  a  tender 
age,  though  he  was  brought  up  surrounded  by  luxury. 

He  was  not  content  with  fasts;  three  times  a  week  he  took 
the  discipline,  and  scourged  himself  so  unmercifully  that 
blood  flowed.  When  the  discipline  was  not  at  hand  he  beat 
himself  with  a  piece  of  rope,  or  with  an  iron  chain.  He  slept 
but  little,  and  at  the  sound  of  the  bell  he  rose  joyfully,  un- 
mindful of  the  cold  floor,  and  knelt  there  for  hours  in  prayer. 
The  cold  affected  him,  and  he  frequently  trembled  from 
head  to  foot  and  sometimes  even  became  so  weak  that  he 
fell  prostrate  to  the  ground,  where  he  lay  continuing  his 
prayer.  His  linen  was  given  to  his  mother  every  week,  stained 
with  blood,  and  when  she  remonstrated  with  him,  he  merely 
said,  "  Let  me,  mother,  expiate  my  many  sins  by  so  small  a 
mortification.'^  Ah,  Aloysius,  what  sins  have  you  to  expiate 
— ^you  who  led  such  an  angelic  life! 

Aloysius  was  very  humble;  when  he  became  a  cleric  he 
used  to  say:  ^^  What  good  can  a  religious  find  in  me?"  In 
his  sickness,  which  was  prolonged,  he  used  to  ask  not  for  the 
most  pleasant  medicines,  but  the  bitter  ones,  and  these  he 
took  slowly  that  the  bitterness  might  be  more  felt.  In  this 
sickness  he  had  the  seven  penitential  psalms  read  to  him.  He 
was  often  found  kneeling  in  his  bed,  praying,  and  he  some- 


The  Festivals  of  ike  Year,  316 

times  dragged  himself  to  the  other  end  of  the  room  to  kiss  a 
crucifix  that  hung  against  the  wall.  He  had  received  the 
viaticum  in  his  last  sickness,  and  the  hour  of  his  death  was 
at  hand,  when  he  turned  to  his  Superior,  who  stood  near 
the  bed.  *'  Father,^'  said  he,  "  I  wish  to  ask  a  favor  and 
hope  it  will  not  be  denied,  for  it  is  the  last  one  I  shall  make. 
I  want  you  to  allow  me  to  take  the  discipline  once  more." 
Oh,  generous-hearted,  noble  Aloysius!  You  wish  to  take  the 
discipline  and  you  are  not  able  to  stand  on  your  feet!  "I 
know,  my  dear  friends,  that  I  am  not  able  to  do  it  myself, 
but  I  ask  that  a  substitute  may  do  it  for  me.  Dear  Father, 
depute  some  one  to  beat  me  severely  from  head  to  foot,  and 
then  I  shall  not  die  with  the  sin  on  my  conscience  that 
I  did  not  do  penance  during  my  lifetime."  Of  course  this 
request  was  not  granted.  Then  he  asked  to  be  laid  on  the 
baxe  floor. 

Why  did  this  young  saint  wish  to  be  treated  so  cruelly? 
He  was  afraid  of  the  judgment  of  God  for  his  sins,  thinking, 
perhaps,  that  for  want  of  sorrow,  penance  or  good  resolutions 
he  had  not  been  forgiven. 

Now  what  were  the  great  sins  which  Aloysius  bewailed 
so  much,  and  had  to  confess.  One  day,  it  is  said,  he  stole 
some  powder  to  fire  off  a  gun;  another  time  he  used  a  bad 
expression  that  he  had  learned  from  the  soldiers.  When  he 
threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  his  confessor  to  tell  these  sins, 
he  was  affected  to  tears,  and  was  half  dead  with  fright  at  the 
thought  of  them.  These  were  the  sins  for  which  he  con- 
tinued to  do  penance!  Oh,  what  miserable,  poor  beings  are 
we,  who  have  so  many  and  great  crimes  to  answer  for,  and 
to  do  penance  for,  when  Aloysius  did  so  much  to  satisfy  God 
for  these  smaller  sins! 

Notwithstanding  all  his  fear  Aloysius  possessed  his  soul 
in  peace,  trusting  in  the  mercy  of  God.  He  knew  he  had 
done  little  to  glorify  God,  still  he  did  not  despair. 

When  he  heard  that  he  was  about  to  die  he  rejoiced,  and 
asked  his  brothers  to  sing  the  Tt  Deum  for  him,  saying:  '^  Oh, 


316    I^east  of  the  Natwity  of  St.  JoJm  the  Baptist. 

you  do  not  know  what  welcome  news  I  have  heard!  In  a 
week  I  am  to  die;  let  ns  thank  God  for  so  great  a  grace.'^  He 
often  repeated,  "  I  shall  go  with  joy/'  Once  when  the  pro- 
vincial of  the  order  asked  him  how  he  was,  he  answered,  "  I 
am  going  with  joy,  and  to  heaven,  if  my  sins  are  not  an 
obstacle."  When  the  hour  of  death  was  close  at  hand  he 
said,  "  Lord,  into  Thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit."  When 
those  around  him  saw  that  he  spoke  no  more,  and  hardly 
gave  any  sign  of  consciousness,  they  put  a  lighted  candle 
into  his  hand,  and  he  held  it  as  well  as  he  could.  They 
repeated  the  holy  name  of  Jesus  and  his  lips  could  be  seen 
to  move  as  if  to  pronounce  that  name.  Shortly  after  he 
died  quietly,  as  if  falling  asleep,  and  thus  this  holy  youth 
gave  up  the  spirit  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  his  age. 

Is  not  such  a  death  beautiful,  my  dear  friends?  To  die 
in  the  Lord  is  a  great  consolation,  for  it  takes  away  all  the 
bitterness  of  death.  Strive  to  die  as  St.  Aloysius  did,  by 
living  the  life  he  led.  St.  Aloysius,  pray  to  God  for  us  that 
we  may  imitate  your  beautiful  life!  Alas,  we  have  not  imi- 
tated you  in  your  innocence.  Let  us,  however,  do  some 
penance  that  we  may  at  least  deserve  the  mercy  of  God  by 
our  tears.  Dear  saint,  let  us  understand  abomination  of  sin 
that  hereafter  we  may  live  in  such  a  manner  as  to  please  God, 
and  deserve  heaven. 


FEAST  OF  THE  NATIVITY  OF  ST.  JOHN  THE 
BAPTIST. 

(June  24.) 

Gospel.  Luke  i.  67-68.  Now  Elizabeth's  full  time  of  being  de- 
livered was  come,  and  she  brought  forth  a  son.  And  her  neighbors 
and  kinsfolks  heard  that  the  Lord  had  showed  his  great  mercy  towards 
her,  and  they  congratulated  with  her.  And  it  came  to  pass  that 
on  the  eighth  day  they  came  to  circumcise  the  child,  and  they  called 
him  by  his  father's  name,  Zachary.  And  his  mother  answering,  said: 
Not  so,  but  he  shall  be  called  John.    And  they  said  to  her;    There 


The  FesUvals  of  the  Year,  317 

is  none  of  thy  kindred  that  is  called  by  this  name.  And  they  made 
signs  to  his  father,  how  he  would  have  him  called:  And  demanding 
a  writing-table,  he  wrote,  saying:  John  is  his  name.  And  they  all 
wondered.  And  immediately  his  mouth  was  opened,  and  his  tongue 
loosed  and  he  spoke,  blessing  God.  And  fear  came  upon  all  their 
neighbors:  and  all  these  things  were  noised  abroad  over  all  the  hill- 
country  of  Judea.  And  all  they  that  had  heard  them  laid  them  up 
in  their  heart,  saying:  What  an  one,  think  ye,  shall  this  child  be? 
For  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with  him.  And  Zachary  his  father  was 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  he  prophesied,  saying:  Blessed  be 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  because  he  hath  visited  and  wrought  the 
redemption  of  his  people. 

St.  John  the  Baptist,  the  precursor  of  Our  Lord,  was  a 
great  saint.  Such  singular  things  happened  at  his  birth 
that  people  said,  "What  think  you  is  to  become  of  this 
child?  "  The  angel  said  he  would  be  great  before  God,  and 
Our  Lord  distinctly  said  that  there  was  no  one  born  of 
woman  greater  than  he.  In  former  times  on  the  feast  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist,  it  is  said  the  priest  used  to  say  three 
Masses  just  as  at  Christmas  to  distinguish  this  feast  from 
others.  Let  us  to-day  review  the  life  and  death  of  this  holy 
man. 

The  birth  of  St.  John  was  singular;  his  father  Zachary 
was  old,  and  no  longer  expected  a  son,  but  the  angel  assured 
him  that  God  wished  to  give  him  one  who  was  to  be  great 
before  God.  This  promise  appeared  impossible  to  Zachary, 
and  for  his  want  of  faith  Our  Lord  struck  him  with  dumb- 
ness, which  lasted  until  the  day  of  the  circumcision  of  St. 
John,  when  the  child  was  to  receive  a  name.  Zachary  took 
up  a  slate  and  wrote  on  it,  '^  John  is  his  name,"  and  then 
he  broke  forth  into  that  noble  canticle,  "  Blessed  be  the  God 
of  Israel." 

St.  John,  though  he  was  a  saint,  and  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  resolved  in  his  early  age  to  go  to  the  desert  and  spend 
his  time  there;  he  begged  his  parents  to  allow  him  to  go  away 
from  the  world.  They  consented  and  he  went  into  a  desert 
country  beyond  the  Jordan.    It  must  have  been  a  great  sor- 


318     Feast  of  the  Nativity  of  St,  John  the  Baj>tist. 

row  to  them  to  lose  their  son  at  such  an  early  age,  but  they 
were  assured  that  it  was  the  will  of  God,  and  they  were 
perfectly  resigned.  Not  many  people  are  so  struck  with  the 
importance  of  a  good  life  that  they  run  into  the  desert  to  live, 
in  order  to  be  out  of  danger  of  the  world. 

St.  John  in  the  desert  is  a  true  picture  of  a  penitential 
life;  in  fact  his  life  was  a  long  martyrdom,  and  he  persevered 
in  it  until  he  was  called  forth  to  preach,  and  to  prepare  the 
way  of  the  Lord.  His  food  was  locusts  and  wild  honey,  he 
slept  on  the  bare  earth,  he  did  not,  as  St.  Jerome  says,  even 
build  for  himself  a  hut  to  protect  him  from  the  severity  of 
the  weather.  His  occupation  during  these  many  years  of 
solitude  was  uninterrupted  prayer,  and  communion  with  God. 
Eeflect  a  moment,  my  dear  young  people.  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  a  saint  you  might  say  by  birth,  wished  to  do  such 
severe  penance,  and  we,  who  have  committed  terrible  sins, 
are  afraid  of  the  least  penance  and  mortification.  If  we  do 
not  wish  to  do  penance,  at  least  let  us  abstain  from  sin.  Prom 
their  very  youth  many  commit  great  crimes,  and  instead  of 
doing  penance  they  multiply  the  number  of  their  iniquities. 
How  wicked  are  such  young  people,  and  how  blind!  For 
thirty  years  John  was  in  the  desert,  and  then  he  followed 
the  call  from  God,  to  come  forth  and  preach  that  penance 
which  he  had  so  long  practiced.  Along  the  banks  of  the 
Jordan  he  went,  crying,  "  Do  penance,  bring  forth  good  fruit 
of  penance,"  for  the  kingdom  of  God  is  coming,  and  He  who 
is  to  come  is  to  point  it  out  to  you.  The  people  were  struck 
by  these  words,  and  willingly  listened  to  him;  many  did  what 
he  asked,  for  they  thought  he  was  some  great  prophet, 
Eliseus  or  Elias,  who  had  come  to  life  again.  His  preaching 
was  strong  and  decisive;  he  reproved  people  for  their  sins; 
even  Herod  was  told  it  was  wrong  for  him  to  live  in  open 
sin.  Herod  had  him  apprehended  and  thrown  into  prison 
for  offending  his  majesty,  and  on  a  great  feast  his  head  was 
cut  off,  to  satisfy  the  spiteful  woman  who  had  been  the  object 
of  Herod's  impurity. 


The  Festivals  of  the  Yea/r.  319 

St.  John  had  a  mimber  of  disciples  who  followed  him  as 
a  master  or  teacher.  When  he  was  apprehended^  he  con- 
soled them,  and  directed  them  to  join  Our  Lord.  From  his 
prison  he  sent  a  committee  to  Jesus  with  the  question,  "  Art 
Thou  He  who  art  to  come,  or  look  we  for  another?  "  Herod 
kept  St.  John  several  months  in  prison;  here  let  me  tell  you 
the  story  of  his  death.  Herod  gave  a  feast  to  the  impious 
Herodias,  and  invited  many  neighboring  princes  and  men  in 
high  authority.  The  daughter  of  Herodias  came  in  and 
danced  before  the  guests;  they  were  all  so  pleased  that  Herod 
promised  he  would  give  her  anything  she  asked,  even  half 
his  kingdom.  When  the  dance  was  over  she  went  to  her 
mother  to  ask  what  her  request  should  be.  Her  mother  said, 
"  Go  thou,  and  ask  for  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist,  and 
bring  it  to  me  at  once.  I  want  to  get  that  man  out  of  the 
way,  and  now  is  the  time  when  I  can  do  it;  perhaps  never 
again  will  such  an  opportunity  present  itself."  Though  Herod 
saw  now  the  wickedness  and  thoughtlessness  of  his  oath  and 
promise,  still  he  gave  orders  that  St.  John  should  be  be- 
headed and  his  head  presented  to  the  impious  Herodias  on 
a  dish.  The  saint  received  the  news  of  his  death  with  joy; 
he  needed  very  little  time  to  prepare  for  the  other  world; 
he  saw  that  the  end  of  his  usefulness  had  come,  and  he  was 
satisfied  to  go  to  God.  He  was  so  holy  that  it  was  a  con- 
solation for  him  to  die.  When  the  guests  saw  the  head,  they 
were  disgusted  at  this  exhibition  of  cruelty  on  the  part  of 
Herod's  family  who  had  invited  them  to  the  feast.  What 
consternation  must  have  come  over  those  half-drunken  men 
and  women!  In  this  way,  too,  in  horror  and  fright  we 
also  may  end  our  life  of  sin  and  our  sinful  festivals,  and 
eternally  bewail  our  wickedness.  Be  steadfast  in  good,  and 
so  firm  in  the  practice  of  your  duties  that  you  would  allow 
yourself  to  be  beheaded  rather  than  to  yield.  You  may  gain 
this  fidelity  by  praying  to  St.  John,  as  many  graces  and  favors 
have  been  obtained  through  his  intercession,  especially  on 
his  feast-day. 


320  Feast  of  St  PeUr, 

FEAST  OF  ST.  PETER 

(June  29.) 

Gospel,  Matt.  xvi.  13-19.  At  that  time  Jesus  came  into  the  dis- 
trict of  Cesarea  Philippi,  and  he  asked  his  disciples,  saying:  Whom 
do  men  say  that  the  Son  of  man  is  ?  But  they  said :  Some,  John  the 
Baptist,  and  other  some  Elias,  and  others,  Jeremias;  or  one  of  the 
prophets.  Jesus  saith  to  them:  But  whom  do  you  say  that  I  am? 
Simon  Peter  answered  and  said:  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God.  And  Jesus  answering  said  to  him:  Blessed  art  thou, 
Simon  Bar-Jona:  because  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  to 
thee,  but  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven.  And  I  say  to  thee:  That 
thou  art  Peter,  and  on  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church:  and  the 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it.  And  I  will  give  to  thee 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven:  And  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind 
on  earth,  it  shall  be  bound  also  in  heaven:  and  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  loose  upon  earth,  it  shall  be  loosed  also  in  heaven. 

How  beautiful  is  our  holy  religion!  Not  only  does  she 
propose  to  our  imitation  the  life  of  Our  Lord,  but  she  shows 
us  also  poor  weak  human  beings,  that  have  been  sanctified 
by  God's  grace  and  mercy,  and  have  become  saints  in  heaven. 
Such  were  the  Apostles,  and  so  many  other  saints,  who,  from 
very  imperfect  beings  became  holy  men  and  women. 

Let  us  therefore  speak  of  the  great  Apostle,  St.  Peter, 
whose  feast,  with  that  of  St.  Paul,  we  celebrate  to-day.  We 
shall  see  in  this  discourse  how  he  was  elevated  to  so  high  a 
dignity,  through  the  lively  faith  and  intense  love  he  had  for 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  faith  of  St.  Peter  was  of  the  liveliest  character:  the 
first  time  he  saw  Our  Lord  he  believed  in  Him,  became  His 
disciple  and  abandoned  all  to  follow  Him.  Once  from  his 
boat  he  saw  Our  Lord  walking  toward  him  on  the  water,  and 
so  great  was  his  faith  in  His  power,  that  he  believed  it  would 
be  possible  to  walk  on  the  water  also,  if  Our  Lord  so  ordered. 

The  first  time  Our  Lord  taught  the  great  mystery  of  the 
Blessed  Eucharist,  promising  that  He  would  give  His  flesh 


The  Festwals  of  the  Yea/r,  321 

to  eat  and  His  blood  to  drink,  many  of  His  hearers  and  dis- 
ciples left  Him,  so  much  were  they  shocked.  Our  Lord 
asked  Peter  whether  he,  too,  would  go  away:  to  which  he 
answered,  "Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the 
words  of  eternal  life."  No,  Lord,  never  will  I  leave  Thee, 
let  all  fly  from  Thee,  and  abandon  Thee,  but  I  will  always 
be  happy  in  Thy  company,  even  though  I  should  have  to  give 
my  life  for  this  fidelity. 

But  who  does  not  remember  St.  Peter's  betrayal  of  Our 
Lord  at  the  court  of  Pilate,  when  a  servant  girl  remembered 
to  have  seen  Peter,  and  said  that  he  was  one  of  the  com- 
panions of  the  Nazarene;  he  assured  the  bystanders  that  he 
knew  not  the  man,  and  confirmed  his  assertion  by  oaths  and 
curses.  But  Jesus  cast  a  glance  of  commiseration  on  the 
guilty  Peter,  who  then  remembered  his  Lord's  words:  "  Be- 
fore the  cock  crows,  thou  wilt  deny  Me  thrice,"  and  going 
out,  he  wept  bitterly.  Another  sign  of  the  faith  of  St.  Peter 
is  shown  from  the  following  incident:  Once  Our  Lord  asked 
His  disciples  who  they  thought  He  was;  they  mentioned 
different  persons,  Elias,  or  one  of  the  prophets.  But  Peter 
at  once  answered,  "  Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God."  That  is.  Thou  art  the  Messias  promised  to  the  Jews, 
the  Desired  of  all  nations,  the  King  of  Israel,  the  King  of 
kings,  the  Lord  of  lords  whom  all  must  obey.  This  was  a 
wonderful  confession  and  the  Lord  approved  of  it.  "  Blessed 
art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jona,  because  flesh  and  blood  hath  not 
revealed  it  to  thee,  but  My  Father,  who  is  in  heaven.  And 
I  say  to  thee  thou  art  Peter;  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
My  Church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against 
it.  I  will  give  to  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  upon  earth,  it  shall  be  bound 
also  in  heaven,  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth,  it 
shall  be  loosed  also  in  heaven." 

If  Peter's  faith  was  great,  immense  also  was  his  reward: 
In  consideration  of  that  great  faith,  he  was  constituted  the 
head  of  the  Church,  the  master  of  all;  that  by  the  special 


322  Feast  of  St.  Peter. 

gift  vouchsafed  to  him,  the  Church  might  be  preserved  in- 
fallible. As  a  reward  of  his  faith  you  see  him  work  the  most 
wonderful  miracles,  healing  the  sick  even  by  the  shadow  of 
his  body;  the  lame  walked,  the  devils  fled  from  those  that 
were  possessed,  and  he  raised  the  dead  to  life.  We  read  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  of  a  poor  man  whose  lower  limbs  were 
paralyzed  so  that  he  was  not  able  to  walk.  When  this  poor 
man  saw  Peter  passing,  he  asked  for  alms,  but  Peter  said, 
^^  Silver  and  gold,  I  have  none,  but  what  I  have  I  give 
thee;  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  arise  and 
walk."  Another  miracle  wrought  by  St.  Peter  is  the  fol- 
lowing: A  noble  young  man,  a  relation  of  the  king,  died;  his 
parents  and  relatives  had  recourse  to  Peter,  who  after  a  short 
prayer,  turned  to  the  body  and  said,  "  Young  man,  I  say  to 
thee,  arise."  Jesus  gave  him  life  and  health,  and  at  once  he 
rose.  Peter  took  him  by  the  hand  and  gave  him  to  his 
parents.  My  dear  young  friends,  do  you  wish  to  do  great 
things  for  God  and  for  humanity,  and  do  you  wish  to  have  the 
help  of  God  in  all  your  undertakings?  Imitate  the  faith  of 
Peter;  make  with  Peter  that  beautiful  confession  to  Our 
Lord,  by  calling  Him  the  Son  of  God.  When  you  receive 
Jesus  in  holy  communion,  when  you  visit  the  church  where 
Jesus  is  on  the  altar,  call  Him  Jesus,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God,  because  it  shows  your  faith  and  your  love  for  Him. 

The  love  of  Peter  for  Our  Lord  was  also  very  great.  You 
can  see  this  from  the  following  incident,  related  in  the 
Gospel:  One  day  after  Peter's  triple  betrayal.  Our  Lord  sud- 
denly came  upon  him  and  said,  "  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest 
thou  Me?"  and  Peter  answered,  "Yea,  Lord,  Thou  knowest 
that  I  love  Thee."  He  saith  to  him,  "Feed  My  lambs." 
Then  Our  Lord  asked  him  again,  "  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest 
thou  Me?"  Peter  gave  the  same  answer,  and  Jesus  said, 
"Feed  My  sheep."  Then  for  the  third  time  Our  Saviour 
asked,  "Lovest  thou  Me?"  and  Peter  was  grieved,  for  it 
looked  as  if  Our  Lord  doubted  his  fidelity,  firmness,  and  love. 
So  in  despair  he  said  to  Our  Lord:  "  Lord,  Thou  knowest  all 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  323 

things;  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  Thee."  Then  Jesus  said, 
^^  Feed  My  lambs."  These  glorious  offices  were  intrusted  to 
Peter  on  account  of  that  faithful  and  enthusiastic  love  he 
showed  for  Christ.  My  dear  young  people,  if  Our  Lord  were 
to  address  you  in  these  words,  *^Dost  thou  love  Me?"  what 
could  you  answer?  Could  you  with  St.  Peter  say,  ^^Thou 
knowest.  Lord,  that  I  love  Thee."  Would  you  not  have  to 
answer,  '^I  love  Thee  but  little,  0  Lord;  somehow  I  must 
confess  that  I  love  pleasures,  plays^  pastimes  and  feasts 
more."  Others  will  have  to  say,  ^'^No,  Lord;  I  love  Thee 
not.  I  hate  Thee.  Go  away  from  me;  my  love  is  for  the 
devil  and  sin."  You  thereby  confess  yourself  an  enemy  of 
Christ,  and  dreadful  will  be  your  fate  in  the  future.  Let  us, 
my  dear  friends,  make  a  profession  of  love  to  Our  Lord,  say- 
ing, "  Lord,  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  Thee;  we  have  been 
friends  for  many  years.  Thou  knowest  that  I  have  not  de- 
serted Thee." 

St.  Peter  gave  practical  proofs  of  his  love  for  Jesus  by  the 
gigantic  works  which  he  undertook;  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  and  supervising  the  workings  of  the  infant  Church. 
He  did  not  fear  to  appear  now  in  the  very  midst  of  those 
who  had  crucified  Our  Lord.  He  is  not  afraid  now  of  Pilate's 
servants,  and  he  tells  the  Jews  openly,  "You  denied  the 
holy  One,  and  the  just,  and  desired  a  murderer  to  be  granted 
unto  you,  but  the  Author  of  life  you  killed."  Thus  he  re- 
mained faithful  to  the  cause  of  Our  Lord,  in  all  the  trials 
that  came  upon  him.  When  put  in  prison,  when  cruelly 
treated  and  persecuted,  when  the  priests  had  him  scourged, 
he  did  not  cease  to  preach  constantly  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  When  they  forbade  him  to  do  it,  he  said,  "Judge 
for  yourselves  whether  we  should  not  obey  God  rather  than 
men."  He  had  to  suffer  much  among  those  many  and  bitter 
enemies;  but  the  love  of  Jesus  made  him  superior  to  all  suf- 
fering; no  persecution  could  tire  him;  he  possessed  great 
peace  of  soul,  even  though  he  was  in  chains.  At  length  the 
day  arrives  when  he  is  to  give  the  last  and  greatest  proof  of 


324  Feast  of  St.  Laiorence  the  Martyr. 

his  lave.  He  rejoiced  when  judgment  was  passed  on  'him, 
and  he  was  to  be  crucified. 

'^  Ah,"  he  said,  "  I  am  not  worthy  to  die  as  my  Master  did; 
crucify  me  with  my  head  down,  and  thus  I  will  suffer  a 
little  more  for  Him."  His  prayer  was  granted.  This  is  the 
reason  that  in  pictures  we  see  St.  Peter  crucified  with  his 
head  downwards.  St.  Peter  praised  God  on  the  cross  and 
preached  for  the  short  while  he  had  to  suffer,  and  then  he 
gave  up  his  soul  to  the  Lord,  who  brought  him  with  glory  to 
the  realms  of  paradise. 

One  thing  more  I  wish  to  recommend  strongly  to  you,  my 
dear  young  friends,  and  that  is  the  great  faith  and  love  St. 
Peter  had  for  Our  Lord.  On  this,  his  glorious  day  of  martyr- 
dom, pray  for  the  whole  Catholic  world;  pray  that  he  may 
protect  and  intercede  for  you  at  the  throne  of  the  omnipotent 
God,  pray  that  you  may  be  able  to  resist  the  insinuations  of 
modern  unbelief;  pray  that  he  may  obtain  for  you  a  true 
sorrow  for  your  sins,  and  the  strength  of  soul  not  to  com- 
mit them  again;  pray  that  he  may  obtain  for  you  the  true 
love  of  Jesus,  that  having  loved  Him  faithfully  on  earth,  you 
may  have  the  happiness  to  continue  that  love  for  all  eternity 
in  heaven. 


FEAST  OF  ST.  LAWEENCE  THE  MAETYR. 

(Atjgust  10.) 

Gospel.  John  xii.  24-26.  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 
Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  unless  the  grain  of  wheat  falling  into  the 
ground,  die,  itself  remaineth  alone.  But  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit.  He  that  loveth  his  life  shall  lose  it:  and  he  that  hateth 
his  life  in  this  world,  keepeth  it  unto  life  eternal.  If  any  man  min- 
ister to  me,  let  him  follow  me:  and  where  I  am,  there  also  shall  my 
minister  be     If  any  man  minister  to  me,  him  will  my  Father  honor. 

In"  the  first  ages  of  the  Church,  the  Fathers  and  the  faith- 
ful £:ave  great  honor  to  St.  Lawrence  the  Martyr.    St.  Augus- 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  325 

tine,  the  great  Doctor,  speaks  in  these  words  of  him:  ^^  The 
glory  of  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Lawrence  is  so  great,  that 
he  has  illumined  the  whole  world  with  that  bright  light 
with  which  he  found  himself  filled,  and  with  the  example  of 
which  he  encouraged  all  the  faithful  of  his  day."  Christians 
of  all  ages  have  always  shown  great  devotion  for  him.  Many 
cities  have  built  temples  in  his  honor.  In  order  to  excite  de- 
votion for  that  great  saint,  let  me  briefly  relate  the  story  of 
his  martyrdom. 

St.  Lawrence  was  bom  in  Rome.  Though  poor  in  the 
world's  goods,  he  was  rich  in  the  graces  of  heaven,  which 
made  him  great  in  the  eyes  of  God,  who  looks  on  the  riches  of 
virtue  possessed  by  the  soul.  His  rare  qualities  soon  broug'ht 
him  to  the  notice  of  St.  Sixtus  the  Pope,  who  received  him 
among  his  clerics,  ordained  him  a  deacon,  and  gave  him  the 
ministration  of  such  duties  as  were  likely  to  make  him  still 
more  perfect.  Under  the  guidance  of  a  Pontiff  so  holy  and 
so  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  made  such  progress  that  in  a 
little  time  he  became  a  model  of  sanctity,  and  was  worthy, 
though  very  young,  to  be  promoted  to  the  order  of  deacon; 
in  fact,  he  became  the  head  of  the  seven  deacons  who  had 
the  administration  of  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  Church  in 
Rome. 

At  that  time  the  emperor  Valerian  carried  on  a  fierce  per- 
secution against  the  Christians  which  was  directed  mainly 
against  the  bishops,  priests  and  deacons.  Pope  Sixtus  was 
one  of  the  first  to  be  apprehended,  with  a  number  of  clerics 
who  were  celebrating  the  divine  rites  in  the  cemetery  of 
Callixtus.  When  Sixtus  was  carried  away  by  the  soldiers 
Lawrence  followed  with  tears  in  his  eyes  and  said:  '^  Where 
are  you  going,  Father,  without  your  son;  where  are  going, 
0  holy  priest,  without  your  deacon?  What  have  I  done  to 
displease  you  that  you  leave  me  thus?  Give  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  prove  myself  worthy  of  the  great  duty  imposed  on 
me  of  distributing  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.''  Were 
these  not  noble  words,  worthy  of  a  saint?     Struck  by  Law- 


326  Feast  of  St.  Lawrence  the  Ma/rtyr, 

rence's  fidelity  St.  Sixtus  said:  "I  do  not  doubt  thee,  my 
son.  But  for  thee  a  greater  combat  for  the  faith  of  Christ 
is  in  reserve.  I,  an  old  man,  will  have  but  a  short  combat, 
but  you  being  younger  and  stronger  will  obtain  a  greater 
triumph  over  the  tyrant.  Do  not  take  it  so  much  to  heart 
that  I  go  first;  in  three  days  you  shall  follow  me.  In  the 
meantime  give  all  thou  hast  to  the  poor,  for  they,  too,  are  in 
danger  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  tyrant.'' 

Lawrence  was  rejoiced  when  he  heard  that  in  three  days 
he  would  be  led  to  martyrdom,  and  began  to  think  at  once 
what  disposition  he  should  make  of  his  worldly  goods.  He 
had  already  executed  in  part  the  command  of  the  holy 
Pope,  when  he  met  him,  being  led  between  two  deacons 
to  his  death.  Approaching  him  Lawrence  said:  "  Father, 
I  have  done  what  you  commanded;  I  have  given  to  the  poor 
the  treasures  of  the  Church."  The  guards  now  apprehended 
him,  and  informed  Decius  Caesar  that  Lawrence  possessed 
the  treasures  of  the  Church.  Decius  had  him  brought  before 
him,  and  asked  him  where  he  had  hidden  the  treasures.  Law- 
rence requested  three  days  to  bring  the  treasures  together 
and  promised  that  he  would  show  them  to  him.  Lawrence 
got  the  respite,  and  in  the  meantime  he  gave  away  all  that 
was  still  in  his  hands.  On  the  day  appointed,  all  the  poor, 
the  maimed,  the  blind,  and  slaves  assembled  at  the  tribunal 
of  Decius  and  St.  Lawrence  with  them.  Then  he  said  to  the 
t3rrant:  '^^I  have  gathered  into  the  courtyard  all  the  vessels 
of  gold  and  silver."  The  prefect  went  down  to  look  at  the 
heaps  of  valuables  which  he  imagined  would  be  there,  but  his 
astonishment  was  indescribable  and  his  anger  fierce  when  he 
saw  assembled  crowds  of  the  poorest  people  in  Eome.  St. 
Lawrence  asked:  "Why  are  you  so  angry  at  not  seeing  gold 
and  silver  which  you  love  so  much?  Those  metals  are  but 
dross  in  comparison  to  the  treasures  which  I  have  brought 
together;  here  are  the  treasures  of  the  Church."  This  is  a 
great  lesson  to  proud,  rich  people  who  think  so  much  of  their 
wealth,  but  despise  the  poor  of  God.    My  dear  young  friends, 


The  Festivals  of  the  Year.  327 

thougli  you  are  in  poverty,  provided  you  are  faithful  to  Our 
Lord,  provided  you  never  stain  your  hearts  with  sin,  you 
shall  always  be  vases  of  gold  and  silver,  which  shall  shine 
brightly  in  the  light  of  paradise. 

As  I  said,  the  tyrant  when  he  saw  that  he  had,  as  he  sup- 
posed, been  trifled  with,  became  terribly  angry,  and  deter- 
mined to  make  the  youth  lose  his  faith.  He  thereupon 
ordered  him  to  abandon  his  religion,  threatening  that  if  he 
did  not  do  as  ordered  he  would  be  delivered  over  to  the  tor- 
turers, who  would  torment  him  through  the  whole  night. 
But  Lawrence  replied  that  it  would  be  a  blessed  night,  full 
of  joy  and  happiness  to  him;  that  the  night  would  lose  all 
its  darkness.  At  this  answer  the  tyrant  became  more  em- 
bittered against  his  victim;  he  had  him  scourged  with  sharp 
thongs  till  the  flesh  was  torn  from  his  sides;  he  was  sus- 
pended over  a  slow  fire,  and  his  body  was  burned  with  red- 
hot  plates;  but  Lawrence  thanked  Our  Lord  for  these  suf- 
ferings, saying,  "Lord  Jesus  Christ,  true  God  and  Son  of 
God,  have  mercy  on  me,  Thy  servant.  I  have  not  given  up 
my  faith  in  Thee;  being  questioned,  I  confessed  Thee  before 
all/'  At  last  even  the  tyrant  tired  of  these  cruelties,  and 
wished  them  to  be  brought  to  an  end,  still  not  suddenly.  Fire 
was  made  under  a  grate  and  Lawrence  was  laid  upon  it  to 
be  slowly  roasted  to  death.  St.  Lawrence  bore  these  tortures 
with  a  great  joy,  because,  as  St.  Augustine  says,  he  had  been 
strengthened  by  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ;  his  love  was 
greater  than  the  flames.  He  turned  to  Decius  and  said: 
"Miserable  man,  these  burning  coals  are  a  comfort  to  me, 
but  to  thee  they  shall  be  an  intolerable  fire  for  all  eternity." 
By  this  time  the  flames  had  roasted  one  side;  he  turned  to 
the  tyrant  and  said:  "You  see  I  am  already  roasted  on  one 
side;  now  turn  me  over  that  I  may  be  roasted  on  both  sides, 
and  you  may  satisfy  your  hunger  with  my  flesh,  since  you 
cannot  satisfy  yourself  with  the  treasures  of  the  Church, 
which-  have  already  been  carried  to  heaven  by  the  hands  of 
the  poor/' 


328  Feast  of  the  Assum^ption, 

In  this  way  the  glorious  St.  Lawrence  triumphed  over  the 
cruel  tyrant,  and  made  him  ashamed  of  his  cruelties.  The 
martyr's  end  was  now  at  hand;  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
he  said:  '^I  thank  Thee,  Lord  God,  because  Thou  hast 
deigned  to  permit  me,  by  these  torments,  to  merit  heaven." 
Then  he  prayed  for  Rome  and  tranquilly  rendered  up  his 
spirit  to  God. 

You  have  seen,  my  dear  young  people,  the  invincible  forti- 
tude St.  Lawrence  exhibited  in  enduring  the  greatest  tor- 
ments. He  would  rather  suffer  anything  than  renounce  his 
faith.  You,  my  dear  young  friends,  can  gain  heaven  by  a 
great  deal  less  than  that;  you  can  gain  heaven  by  doing 
some  little  good,  by  saying  a  few  pious  and  short  prayers  in 
the  morning  and  at  night,  by  going  to  Mass  on  Sundays  and 
frequenting  the  sacraments.  Little  is  required  of  us  with 
which  to  merit  heaven;  would  that  we  did  that  little  perse- 
veringly.  Learn  from  St.  Lawrence  and  beg  him  fervently 
each  day  to  obtain  for  you  a  portion  of  his  firmness  in  the 
service  of  God  and  a  great  desire  of  paradise;  and  determine 
that  rather  than  renounce  your  heavenly  birthright,  you,  at 
least  in  intention,  will  sacrifice  everything. 

FEAST  OF  THE  ASSUMPTION  OF  THE  BLESSED 
VIEGIN  MARY. 

(August  15.) 

Gospel.  Luke  x.  38-42.  At  that  time:  Jesus  entered  into  a  cer- 
tain town;  and  a  certain  woman,  named  Martha,  received  him  into 
her  house.  And  she  had  a  sister  called  Mary,  who,  sitting  also  at  the 
Lord's  feet,  heard  his  word.  But  Martha  was  busy  about  much 
serving:  who  stood  and  said:  Lord,  hast  thou  no  care  that  my 
sister  hath  left  me  alone  to  serve?  speak  to  her,  therefore,  that  she 
help  me.  And  the  Lord  answering,  said  to  her:  Martha,  Martha, 
thou  art  careful,  and  art  troubled  about  many  things.  But  one 
thing  is  necessary.  Mary  hath  chosen  the  best  part,  which  shall  not 
be  taken  away  from  her. 

Who  is  she  that  comes  from  the  dreary  desert  of  this 
world  radiant  with  celestial  joy?    Who  is  she  that,  beautiful 


The  Festi/vals  of  the  Yea/r,  329 

as  the  moon,  glorious  as  the  sun,  comes  from  the  earth  in  a 
path  of  light,  surrounded  by  bright  spirits?  It  is  Mary,  that 
beloved  creature  into  whom  God  has  infused  His  choicest 
graces  and  fitted  with  the  most  beautiful  gifts.  It  is  Mary 
who  enters  paradise  this  day,  who  comes  to  take  possession 
of  the  eternal  kingdom  of  joy,  to  be  crowned  by  the  eternal 
Father,  and  to  be  proclaimed  Queen  of  heaven  and  earth. 
Angels  of  heaven,  open  the  gates  of  paradise,  for  the  Queen 
of  eternal  bliss  is  at  hand,  and  is  about  to  enter!  Myriads  of 
heavenly  spirits  have  formed  into  a  procession,  and,  respect- 
fully inclined  before  her,  they  sing  a  joyous  song,  and  ac- 
company her  to  the  throne  of  her  divine  Son,  who  also  comes 
forward  to  meet  and  welcome  her.  "  Come,  dear  Mother," 
He  says,  "  enjoy  the  reward  of  thy  pious  and  holy  life;  I  will 
crown  thee  Queen  of  heaven:  thou  shalt  be  the  dispenser  of 
My  graces,  into  thy  hands  I  intrust  the  treasures  of  paradise; 
thou  shalt  distribute  them  to  men."  The  crown  is  then 
placed  on  her  head,  and  the  angels,  patriarchs,  prophets, 
apostles,  martyrs,  confessors  and  virgins  acknowledge  her  as 
their  Queen  and  salute  her.  What  a  glorious  triumph  that 
was!  to  what  height  of  glory  was  she  placed,  when,  crowned 
by  her  divine  Son,  Mary  was  raised  in  glory  and  in  power 
above  all  the  choirs  of  angels  and  saints!  There  is  no  one  in 
heaven  greater  than  Mary,  except  her  divine  Son. 

My  dear  young  friends,  we  must  endeavor  to  feel  this  joy 
in  our  hearts  on  this  day,  when  Mary  was  placed  above  all 
creatures  in  heaven.  We  rejoice  also  because  she  is  our 
Mother,  and  we,  her  sons  and  daughters,  are  going  to  be  en- 
riched with  the  favors  and  blessings  which  she  dispenses. 
We  must,  however,  be  affectionate  children,  for  it  is  only  to 
such  that  she  will  give  her  benefits.  Mary  is  the  gate  of 
heaven,  she  has  the  keeping  of  the  door.  ^^  Open  to  us, 
Mary,"  prayed  St.  Ambrose,  "  open  to  us  the  gates  of  heaven." 
"Who  are  those  who  will  be  saved?"  exclaims  St.  Dionysius 
the  Carthusian,  '^who  will  go  to  heaven?"  Those  certainly 
for  whom  this  glorious  Queen  exerts  her  efforts.    "  The  true 


330  I^east  of  the  Assumption, 

lovers  of  this  holy  Queen  will  necessarily  be  saved,"  says  St. 
Antonius.  Mary  assists  and  defends  her  good  children  in 
death,  and  brings  them  to  heaven.  St.  Bernard  says:  "  By 
thy  mercy  is  heaven  filled  with  blessed  souls."  But,  you 
will  ask,  what  are  we  to  do  to  be  devout  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin?  What  are  we  to  do?  You  must  imitate  her,  and 
make  every  effort  to  practice  her  many  virtues,  her  humility, 
her  purity,  her  c^harity,  her  detachment  from  the  earth  and 
her  fervent  desire  of  heaven.  The  words  which  St.  Paul  said 
of  Our  Lord  may  also,  to  some  extent,  be  applied  to  her;  if 
you  suffer  with  Mary,  you  shall  also  be  glorified  with  her; 
if  you  walk  in  her  footsteps  you  shall  have  a  share  in  her 
happiness. 

If  the  thought  of  your  weakness  comes  to  your  mind, 
and  you  feel  yourselves  unable  to  practice  these  virtues  and 
make  these  generous  sacrifices,  remember,  Mary  will  help 
you.  Yes,  my  dear  young  people,  Mary  will  be  a  mediatrix 
at  the  feet  of  her  divine  Son.  "  There,"  says  St.  Bernard, 
"this  Mother  of  mercy  asks  graces  for  you  continually; 
she  will  remind  Jesus  of  her  motherly  affection  for  Him 
and  for  us;  Jesus  will  show  His  sacred  body  with  its  glori- 
fied wounds  to  His  heavenly  Father,  and  through  this  pow- 
erful intercession  we  can  obtain  all  things."  Yes,  Mary 
watches  over  us  with  a  mother's  tender  solicitude,  and  is 
happy  when  we  turn  to  her  with  confidence.  Have  recourse 
to  her  then  in  all  your  temptations,  in  all  your  calamities, 
however  great;  no  matter  how  strong  your  temptations  may 
be  she  will  strengthen  you  to  combat  them;  how  great  soever 
your  sins  may  be  she  will  obtain  your  pardon,  provided  you 
are  sorry  for  them,  and  renounce  them  sincerely.  On  this 
beautiful  festival  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
let  us  consecrate  ourselves  to  her,  beg  of  her  that  she  will 
obtain  for  us  a  holy  life,  and  that  we  may  die  as  holy  a  death 
as  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka,  whose  death  is  related  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner: 

Stanislaus  loved  Mary  so  much  that  when  he  heard  the 


The  Festwals  of  the  Yea/r.  331 

Salve  Begina,  "Hail,  holy  Queen/'  his  soul  became  all  in- 
flamed and  he  seemed  rapt  in  ecstasy.  It  was  the  tenth  of 
August,  five  days  before  the  feast  of  the  Assumption.  Stanis- 
laus wished  very  much  to  participate  in  this  feast  in  heaven. 
He  went  to  Mary's  altar  and  made  known  his  great  desire 
and  asked  her  to  pray  that  his  request  be  granted.  It  was 
just  then  the  feast  of  St.  Lawrence;  he  asked  the  holy 
martyr  to  present  his  petition  in  person  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
Stanislaus  at  the  time  was  in  his  usual  health  and  strength; 
he  had  so  much  assurance  that  his  request  would  be  granted, 
that  he  foretold  to  several  persons  the  day  of  his  death.  He 
took  sick,  but  no  one  thought  anything  about  it,  supposing 
it  to  be  a  slight  indisposition.  The  feast  of  the  Assumption 
was  about  to  dawn,  still  nothing  alarming  was  noticed.  Stanis- 
laus, however,  expecting  the  end,  took  leave  of  his  com- 
panions and  superiors;  he  asked  pardon  for  his  failings  and 
thanked  them  for  the  many  kindnesses  shown  him;  toward 
evening  his  sickness  took  a  serious  turn,  the  cold  sweat  stood 
on  his  forehead.  Then  those  that  stood  about  the  bedside 
saw  that  the  end  was  really  nigh.  Stanislaus  prayed  fer- 
vently, kissed  repeatedly  a  picture  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and 
then  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven,  he  beheld  Mary  with  a  great 
number  of  virgins  preparing  to  come  to  his  bedside.  The 
dying  Stanislaus  speaks  to  her,  and  in  this  sweet  union  he 
breathed  his  soul  into  the  hands  of  his  dear  Mother.  This 
was  certainly  a  most  beautiful  death,  one  which  the  saint 
deserved  for  his  holy  life,  and  as  a  reward  for  that  devotion 
to  the  Blessed  Virgin  with  which  he  was  filled.  Be  ye,  my 
dear  young  friends,  as  I  said  before,  full  of  devotion  to  our 
good  Mother;  imitate  her  virtues,  love  her  with  all  your  heart 
and  you,  too,  will  die  the  death  of  the  saints;  you,  too,  will 
experience  in  your  last  moments  the  powerful  protection  of 
Mary,  and  if  she  does  not  assist  at  your  death  personally, 
which  is  a  great  grace,  still  you  will  feel  her  power,  and 
the  devil  will  not  be  able  to  affect  you  in  any  manner.  Take 
courage  then,  my  dear  young  friends,  on  this,  her  day;  throw 


332  Feast  of  the  Natimty. 

yourselves  with  confidence  at  the  feet  of  Mary,  and  pray  her 
to  consider  you  her  children. 

Yes,  0  dear  Mother  Mary,  these  young  people  wish  from 
the  present  moment  to  love  thee  as  thou  shouldst  be  loved; 
they  have  resolved  to  abandon  every  vice;  accept  their  prom- 
ises, 0  Mary;  help  them  with  a  mother's  affection  and  in- 
terest, so  that  they  may  always  remain  free  from  sin,  and 
that  they  may  continually  burn  with  love  for  thee.  You 
young  people  who  are  still  good  should  persevere  in  that 
state  until  the  end.  But  those  poor  wretches  who  have  stained 
their  baptismal  robe,  let  them  have  it  washed  again  in  the 
tribunal  of  penance.  Let  us  pray  for  them,  that  the  strength 
of  God's  grace  be  given  to  them  to  correct  their  sinful  lives, 
and  then  all  of  us  may  one  day  celebrate  together  this  glori- 
ous feast  in  heaven,  in  company  with  the  angelic  choirs. 


FEAST  OF  THE  NATIVITY  OF  THE  BLESSED 
VIEGIN. 

(September  8.) 

Gospel.  Matt.  i.  1-16.  Book  of  the  generation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  son  of  David,  the  son  of  Abraham.  Abraham  begot  Isaac:  and 
Isaac  begot  Jacob:  and  Jacob  begot  Judas,  and  his  brethren.  And 
Judas  begot  Phares  and  Zara  of  Thamar:  and  Phares  begot  Esron: 
and  Esron  begot  Aram.  And  Aram  begot  Aminadab:  and  Aminadab 
begot  Naasson:  and  Naasson  begot  Salmon.  And  Salmon  begot  Booz 
of  Rahab:  and  Booz  begot  Obed  of  Ruth:  and  Obed  begot  Jesse: 
and  Jesse  begot  David  the  king.  And  David  the  king  begot  Solomon 
of  her  who  was  wife  of  Urias.  And  Solomon  begot  Roboam:  and 
Roboam  begot  Abias:  and  Abias  begot  Asa.  And  Asa.  begot  Josa- 
phat:  and  Josaphat  begot  Joram:  and  Joram  begot  Ozias.  And 
Ozias  begot  Joatham:  and  Joatham  begot  Achaz:  and  Achaz  begot 
Ezeehias.  And  Ezechios  begot  Manasses:  and  Manasses  begot  Amon: 
and  Amon  begot  Josias.  And  Josias  begot  Jechonias  and  his  breth- 
ren in  the  transmigration  of  Babylon.  And  after  the  transmigration 
of  Babylon,  Jechonias  begot  Salathiel :  and  Salathiel  begot  Zorobabel. 
And  Zorobabel  begot  Abiud :  and  Abiud  begot  Eliacim :  and  Eliacim 
begot  Azor.    And  A^or  begot  Sadoc:    and  Sadoc  begot  Achim:    and 


TJie  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  333 

Achim  begot  Eliud.  And  Eliud  begot  Eleazar:  and  Eleazar  begot 
Mathan:  and  Mathan  begot  Jacob.  And  Jacob  begot  Joseph,  the 
husband  of  Mary,  of  whom  was  born  Jesus,  who  is  called  Christ. 

What  a  beautiful  feast  this  is  on  which  we  celebrate  the 
birth  of  the  Blessed  Virgin!  The  Church  sings  in  her 
anthems  of  solemn  celebration,  ''  Thy  birth,  0  Virgin  Mother 
of  Grod,  has  filled  the  whole  world  with  joy,  for  from  thee  is 
born  the  Son  of  justice,  who,  freeing  the  human  race  from 
malediction,  has  heaped  upon  them  many  benedictions,  and 
having  conquered  death  has  given  us  eternal  life."  Let  us 
celebrate  the  birth  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  with  great 
devotion. 

But  now  let  me  follow  the  flight  of  my  imagination:  I  see 
bands  of  angels  descend  from  paradise,  to  celebrate  the  birth 
of  this  child.  About  her  cradle  are  thousands  of  angels,  held 
there  by  the  affection  servants  feel  for  their  mistress;  joyful 
is  their  union,  glorious  their  song;  they  bow  in  deep  respect, 
they  adorn  the  cradle  with  flowers,  heavenly  music  is  played 
and  fills  the  house  of  Joachim  and  Ann  who,  rapt  in  contem- 
plation of  God's  wonders,  stand  there  admiring  the  beautiful 
face  of  the  infant.  The  patriarch  of  Jerusalem  wrote,  "  The 
face  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  from  her  very  birth,  shone 
with  a  kind  of  divine  light.'' 

My  dear  young  friends,  let  us  also  join  the  myriads  of 
angels  at  the  birth  of  Mary;  let  us  exult  with  them,  let  us 
celebrate  with  becoming  joy  the  birth  of  the  most  beautiful, 
the  most  pure,  the  most  holy  of  creatures!  You  must  not 
think  that  she  was  born  in  sin,  like  other  mortals;  she  was 
exempt  from  the  curse  which  Adam  brought  upon  the  human 
race.  We  are  bom  in  sin,  the  curse  of  God  is  on  us  from  our 
very  conception,  because  we  belong  to  a  wicked  race,  but  Mary 
was  not  touched  by  that  guilt  of  Adam,  for  she  was  to  be  the 
Mother  of  God.  We,  as  St.  Paul  says,  have  been  children 
of  anger,  but  she  was  a  child  of  joy.  It  is  of  faith  that  Mary 
was  born  free  from  sin;  she  came  into  the  world,  therefore, 
pure  and  immaculate,  fit  from  the  very  beginning  to  be  an 


334  Feast  of  the  Nativii/y, 

instrument  in  the  hands  of  God  for  the  completion  of  His 
designs  for  the  salvation  of  mankind.  Providence  had  formed 
the  idea  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  had  brought  that  idea  into 
existence. 

When  Mary  was  three  years  old  she  devoted  herself  to  God's 
service  in  the  Temple  in  solitude  and  retirement  from  the 
distraction  of  this  world.  Thus  she  co-operated  with  God  in 
making  herself  worthy  of  His  love.  After  such  an  offering, 
my  dear  young  friends,  would  it  not  appear  to  you  that  this 
young  and  holy  maiden  should  consider  herself  secure,  and 
pay  no  further  attention  to  her  innocence  and  holiness?  But 
no;  Mary  increased  her  vigilance  to  preserve  herself  pure 
and  immaculate.  The  Temple  was  to  her  an  asylum  where 
that  delicate  purity  could  be  preserved.  St.  Bonaventure  says 
that  she  would  rise  at  midnight  to  pray;  during  the  day  she 
would  busy  herself  with  embroidery,  sewing  and  mending. 
Her  whole  occupation  was  to  sanctify  her  soul  and  live  up 
to  the  dignity  of  one  called  by  God  to  a  glorious  work  on 
this  earth.  *^  She  was  planted/'  says  St.  John  Damascene, 
^^in  the  garden  of  the  Lord  as  a  fruitful  olive  tree;  every 
virtue  flourished  in  her."  After  a  period  of  time  she  re- 
turned to  her  parents  and  there  led  the  same  holy  life.  She 
had  no  intimate  friends  but  her  saintly  parents;  she  had  no 
desire  but  to  show  them  love,  respect  and  obedience.  What- 
ever threatened  to  raise  a  shadow  of  wrong  to  her  innocence, 
she  scrupulously  avoided;  at  the  Annunciation  she  was  much 
troubled  at  the  sight  of  an  angel. 

What  a  lesson  for  us,  my  dear  young  friends!  Mary  had 
nothing  to  fear,  having  been  preserved  by  the  will  of  God 
from  original  sin.  She  never  felt  a  secret  repugnance  to 
being  good,  she  never  had  an  inclination  to  evil;  pleasures 
and  vices  had  no  allurements  for  her;  still,  with  all  those 
safeguards  of  grace,  she  was  extremely  careful  and  used  every 
means  to  preserve  in  herself  the  fulness  of  grace  which  was 
intrusted  to  her.  But  you,  my  young  friends,  so  frail,  so 
inconstant  in  good,  so  exposed  to  many  dangers,  and  so 


The  Festwals  of  the  Yea/r.  335 

mucli  tempted  by  Satan,  do  you  watch  carefully  so  as  not  to 
lose  the  great  treasure  of  grace?  Ah,  many  young  people 
instead  of  being  very  careful  expose  themselves  to  all  dangers; 
they  even  seek  the  society  of  bad  companions;  they  do  not 
place  a  guard  over  their  senses,  especially  their  eyes,  and  in 
this  way  they  lose  the  grace  of  God,  and  fall  into  sin.  Many 
come  to  the  use  of  reason  and  then  throw  away  this  precious 
gift  of  innocence  and  abandon  themselves  to  vice.  They 
drive  Our  Lord  from  their  heart  and  give  themselves  over  to 
the  devil;  they  are  not  grieved  at  the  loss  of  the  friendship 
of  God,  which  is  worth  more  than  all  the  wealth  of  the  world. 
What  blindness  and  wickedness  this  is!  You,  who  are  still 
innocent,  follow  the  example  of  Mary;  use  every  possible 
means  to  guard  against  any  defilement  of  sin. 

Let  me  relate  to  you  a  little  story.  Godfried,  third  duke 
of  Brabent,  after  the  death  of  his  father  came  into  possession 
of  many  states,  but  he  was  still  so  young  that  the  sceptre  of 
government  could  not  be  trusted  into  his  hands.  The  neigh- 
boring people,  who  had  been  at  continual  war  with  the  old 
duke,  took  advantage  of  this  weakness  of  the  government, 
took  up  arms  and  invaded  the  states  of  the  infant  duke,  not 
supposing  that  they  would  meet  with  much  resistance  to  their 
unjust  designs.  The  nobles  of  the  state  hastened  to  the  de- 
fense of  their  child-prince;  but  there  was  no  leader  to  head 
the  army.  One  of  the  officers  proposed  that  the  child  should 
be  brought  to  the  front  in  its  cradle,  and  that  the  army  would 
be  inspired  with  courage  at  the  sight  of  it.  This  was  done. 
The  sight  of  the  cradle  and  the  sound  of  the  poor  child's 
cries  gave  them  such  courage  that  they  attacked  the  enemy 
with  fury,  and  drove  them  back  in  confusion.  In  your 
temptations  you,  too,  will  be  moved  to  make  great  efforts 
against  the  devil  if  you  think  of  Mary  in  her  little  cradle; 
you  will  also  be  protected,  you  will  feel  new  strength  bom 
in  your  soul,  you  will  make  a  bold  stand  against  the  enemy, 
put  him  to  flight,  and  preserve  in  your  souls  the  divine  grace. 
Have  a  devotion  to  the  birth  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  honor 


336  Feast  of  St.  Michael  the  Archmigel, 

her  on  this  day  with  a  special  love.  Mary  will  not  forget  you, 
she  will  be  generous  of  her  gifts.  When  princesses  of  this 
world  give  great  favors  to  their  subjects  on  their  birthdays, 
will  not  the  generous  and  good-hearted  Queen  of  heaven  make 
presents  on  this  day  to  those  who  devoutly  ask  for  them? 
Say  with  St.  Germanus,  "  We  beg  of  thee,  0  holiest  Virgin, 
on  this  day  which  commemorates  thy  birth,  to  bring  peace  to 
all  the  world,  and  to  our  souls  grace  and  divine  mercy .'^ 

FEAST   OF  ST.   MICHAEL   THE   ARCHANGEL. 

(Septembeb  29.) 

Gospel.  Matt,  xviii.  1-10.  At  that  hour  the  disciples  came  to 
Jesus,  saying:  Who,  thinkest  thou,  is  the  greater  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven?  And  Jesus  calling  unto  him  a  little  child,  set  him  in  the 
midst  of  them.  And  said:  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  unless  you  be  con- 
verted, and  become  as  little  children,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall  humble  himself  as 
this  little  child,  he  is  the  greater  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  he 
that  shall  receive  one  such  little  child  in  my  name,  receiveth  me. 
But  he  that  shall  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones  that  believe  in  me, 
it  were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  should  be  hanged  about  his 
neck,  and  that  he  should  be  drowned  in  the  depth  of  the  sea.  Wo 
to  the  world  because  of  scandals.  For  it  must  needs  be  that  scandals 
come,  but  nevertheless  wo  to  that  man  by  whom  the  scandal  cometh. 
And  if  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  scandalize  thee,  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it 
from  thee.  It  is  better  for  thee  to  go  into  life  maimed  or  lame,  than, 
having  two  hands  or  two  feet,  to  be  cast  into  everlasting  fire.  And 
if  thy  eye  scandalize  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast  it  from  thee:  it  is 
better  for  thee  having  one  eye  to  enter  into  life,  than  having  two  eyes 
to  be  cast  into  hell  fire.  See  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones ; 
for  I  say  to  you,  that  their  angels  in  heaven  always  behold  the  face 
of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

To-day  we  celebrate  the  feast  of  St.  Michael,  that  great, 
powerful  angel  and  prince  of  the  heavenly  army,  who  took 
up  the  vindication  of  the  honor  of  God's  name  against  Lucifer 
and  the  rebellious  angels,  and  spoke  the  words,  "  Who  is  like 
God?  "  which  give  him  his  name.    We  must  suppose  that  the 


The  Festivals  of  the  Year.  337 

combat  was  a  great  one;  we  do  not  know  what  weapons  they 
used,  or  in  what  manner  they  fought,  but  we  know  that  the 
victory  remained  with  St.  Michael. 

As  a  reward  of  his  fidelity,  God  gave  him  the  particular  care 
of  His  Church,  to  defend  her  in  all  her  trials.  This  is  the 
reason  that  we  celebrate  his  feast,  that  we  may  have  an  op- 
portunity to  thank  God  that  He  has  chosen  and  given  us 
this  protector  of  the  Church  of  God  on  earth.  Let  me  merely 
say  a  few  words  on  this  great  archangel,  but  let  me  show  as 
clearly  as  I  can  that  it  is  to  our  advantage  to  have  a  devotion 
to  him,  because  he  has  been  destined  by  almighty  God  to 
help  us — particularly  in  our  agony  when  we  are  about  to  pass 
from  this  world  to  the  next.  I  shall  also  speak  of  our  guardian 
angel  to  whom  we  should  have  a  special  devotion,  because  he 
is  always  attentive  to  our  wants. 

From  the  very  first  moment  of  our  existence  God  gives  us 
an  angel  to  remain  with  us  until  the  hour  of  our  death.  "  He 
hath  given  His  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all 
thy  ways." 

St.  Frances  of  Eome,  who  honored  her  guardian  angel 
with  a  daily  devotion,  once  saw  him  in  the  form  of  a  beautiful 
boy  of  seven  years;  his  hair  was  bright  as  gold,  and  he  was 
dressed  in  rich  clothing.  St.  Ludwina  also  enjoyed  continual 
familiarity  and  sweetest  conversation  with  her  guardian  angel; 
he  appeared  to  her  often  when  she  was  in  affliction,  and  she 
rejoiced  at  sight  of  him  and  forgot  all  her  sorrows.  St.  Cecilia 
said  to  Valerian,  '^  Let  me  tell  you,  that  I  have  an  angel,  a 
companion  who  guards  my  body  with  the  greatest  care,  and 
if  you  insult  me  it  will  cost  you  your  life."  Anastasius,  the 
heretical  emperor  who  persecuted  the  Church,  saw  the  angel 
of  Sabba,  the  abbot,  who  was  begging  the  tyrant  to  spare  his 
monks.  God  wished  to  do  us  a  great  favor,  my  dear  young 
friends,  in  giving  us  an  angel  from  the  realms  of  bliss  as  our 
companion,  to  be  always  at  our  side;  one  who  would  foresee 
many  dangers  and  lead  us  away  from  them,  and  defend  us, 
day  and  night,  against  the  attacks  of  the  devil.    "  In  their 


338  Feast  of  St,  Michael  the  Archangel. 

liands  they  shall  bear  thee  up,  lest  perhaps  thou  dash  thy  foot 
against  a  stone.'^  St.  Bernard,  thinking  of  this  great  favor, 
cried  out  in  rapture,  "  0  immense  love  of  God,  who  has  for 
man  created  a  new  oflB.ce  among  the  angels,  that  of  protect- 
ing us!  ^' 

Our  guardian  angel  sends  us  good  inspirations,  offers  our 
prayers  to  God,  brings  us  consolation  in  trouble,  and  keeps 
us  from  falling  into  sin.  Yes,  my  dear  young  people,  if  you 
have  triumphed  over  some  great  temptation,  it  was  through 
the  prayers  of  your  angel  that  you  escaped.  You  would  have 
been  but  too  ready  to  listen  to  the  voice  of  sin  had  you  not 
been  warned  in  time,  and  thus  brought  to  remain  faithful  to 
God.  You  have  fought  the  devil  through  your  angel,  who  is 
still,  as  of  old,  the  natural  enemy  of  Satan.  Show  yourselves 
grateful  to  him  for  all  this  good.  Judith,  who  cut  off  the 
head  of  her  enemy  Holof ernes,  ascribes  the  power  of  her  arm 
to  the  help  of  an  angel:  she  said,  "  As  the  Lord  liveth.  His 
angel  hath  been  my  keeper.^'  Daniel,  the  holy  prophet,  when 
he  had  been  locked  up  in  the  den  of  hungry  lions  for  twenty- 
four  hours,  said  to  the  king,  ^^  My  God  hath  sent  His  angel, 
and  hath  shut  up  the  mouths  of  the  lions,  and  they  have  not 
hurt  me." 

You  ought  to  have  great  respect  and  reverence  for  your 
guardian  angel.  How  well  and  devoutly  we  would  live  were 
we  strongly  persuaded  that  a  great  spirit  from  heaven,  power- 
ful and  holy,  is  with  us  all  the  time!  Would  a  wicked  youth 
utter  impure  words  in  the  hearing  of  his  companions  if  he 
realized  that  his  guardian  angel  also  heard  him?  What  a 
miserable  man  he  would  be  who,  knowing  this,  would  curse 
and  blaspheme  God  in  the  very  face  of  a  powerful  angel,  w'ho 
would  avenge  the  honor  of  God's  name!  Shame  would  over- 
come us  were  we  persuaded  that  that  pure  spirit  were  a  wit- 
ness to  our  impurities.  Do  not  young  people  often  sin  be- 
cause they  say  to  themselves  that  no  one  sees  them?  God, 
who  is  everywhere,  sees  you  always,  and  the  angel  whom  God 
has  given  you  as  a  companion  is  also  a  witness  of  your  sin. 


The  Festwals  of  the  Year,  339 

How  keenly  that  spirit  must  feel  it  ^hen  you  turn  away  from 
Grod,  your  eternal  salvation!  The  angels  of  peace  weep  bit- 
terly at  our  infidelity.  St.  Paul,  the  monk,  once  saw,  by  God's 
permission,  a  great  sinner  enter  a  church;  his  soul  was  foul 
with  wickedness  and  he  walked  between  two  demons  who  held 
him  in  chains.  His  guardian  angel,  with  a  most  dejected 
mien,  followed  at  a  short  distance.  The  man  went  to  con- 
fession, and  when  he  came  out  of  church  his  beauty  was  re- 
stored to  him.  His  guardian  angel,  with  a  joyous  face,  was 
close  beside  him,  and  the  chains  and  the  devils  had  disap- 
peared. 

"  Wherever  you  are,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "  remember  the  re- 
spect you  ought  to  have  for  your  angel;  be  careful  to  do 
nothing  that  you  would  be  ashamed  of  doing  before  any  one 
else/^ 

Learn  to  repeat  this  little  prayer,  to  which  an  indulgence  of 
one  hundred  days  is  attached: 

Angel  of  God,  my  guardian  dear. 
To  whom  His  love  commits  me  here, 
Ever  this  day  be  at  my  side, 
To  light  and  guard,  to  rule  and  guide. 

Amen. 

In  all  your  dangers  have  recourse  to  him  for  help  and  coun- 
sel. St.  Bernard  says  again,  ^^Be  great  friends  with  your 
angel;  speak  to  him  often  in  your  mind,  for  he  sees  What  you 
are  thinking  of." 

Blessed  Joanna  from  her  childhood  had  great  friendship 
for  her  guardian  angel;  she  always  consulted  him  and  pro- 
posed her  difficulties  to  him  and  then  let  him  decide  what 
should  be  done.  She  lost  her  parents  early  in  life,  and  her 
companions  used  to  pity  her,  but  Joanna  took  them  to  a 
church,  and  there  showing  them  a  beautiful  angel,  said: 
"  This  angel  is  my  father  and  my  mother,  my  counsellor  and 
master,  my  teacher  in  everything."  If  we  had  such  a  faith  in 
our  guardian  angel  what  great  benefits  we  would  receive! 


340  Feast  of  the  Holy  Rosary, 

Honor  also  the  great  arcliangel  Michael,  pray  to  him  often, 
especially  at  the  end  of  Mass,  when  the  priest  says:  "St. 
Michael  the  archangel,  defend  ns  in  battle;  be  our  protec- 
tion against  the  malice  and  snares  of  the  devil.  We  humbly 
beseech  God  to  command  him:  and  do  thou,  0  Prince  of  the 
heavenly  host,  by  the  divine  power  thrust  into  hell  Satan 
and  the  other  evil  spirits  who  roam  through  the  world  seeking 
the  ruin  of  souls.    Amen.^^ 

Now  be  really  convinced  of  this  consoling  truth,  that  we  all 
have  an  angel,  that  he  is  always  with  us,  and  that  he  ought 
to  be  our  greatest  friend. 

FEAST  OF  THE  HOLY  EOSARY. 
(First  Sunday  of  October.) 

Gospel.  Luke  i.  26-38.  At  tJiat  time  the  Angel  Gabriel  was  sent 
from  God  into  a  city  of  Galilee,  called  Nazareth,  to  a  virgin  espoused 
to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the  house  of  David;  and  the 
virgin's  name  was  Mary.  And  the  Angel  being  come  in,  said  unto  her: 
Hail,  full  of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with  thee:  blessed  art  thou  among 
women.  Who  having  heard,  was  troubled  at  his  saying,  and  thought 
with  herself  what  manner  of  salutation  this  should  be.  And  the 
Angel  said  to  her:  Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found  grace  with 
God.  Behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  shalt  bring  forth 
a  son;  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus.  He  shall  be  great, 
and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  most  High,  and  the  Lord  God  shall 
give  unto  him  the  throne  of  David  his  father:  and  he  shall  reign 
in  the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no 
end.  And  Mary  said  to  the  Angel :  How  shall  this  be  done,  because  I 
know  not  man?  And  the  Angel  answering,  said  to  her:  The  Holy 
Spirit  shall  oome  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  most  High  shall 
overshadow  thee.  And  therefore  also  the  Holy  which  shall  be  bom 
of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God.  And  behold  thy  cousin  Eliza- 
beth, she  also  hath  conceived  a  son  in  her  old  age;  and  this  is  the 
sixth  month  with  her  that  is  called  barren;  because  no  work  shall  be 
impossible  with  God.  And  Mary  said:  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the 
Lord:   be  it  done  to  me  according  to  thy  word. 

Of  all  the  practices  of  devotion  with  which  we  honor  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  dear  to  her  is 


7^e  Festivals  of  the  Year,  341 

certainly  the  recitation  of  the  Eosary.  Mary  herself  insti- 
tuted that  form  of  prayer,  and  when  she  gave  the  Eosary  to 
St.  Dominic  she  said  to  him:  "  My  son  Dominic,  preach  the 
Eosary  everywhere;  it  is  the  form  of  prayer  which  I  love 
best/' 

Let  us  see  in  what  its  excellence  consists,  and  how  we 
should  recite  it,  so  that  it  may  be  acceptable  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  of  benefit  to  ourselves. 

To  recognize  the  excellence  of  the  Eosary  it  is  enough  for 
us  to  think  of  the  beautiful  prayers  of  which  it  is  composed; 
it  is  made  up  of  the  Our  Father,  a  greater  prayer  than  which 
is  not  known,  for  it  was  taught  us  by  Christ  Himself,  com- 
posed by  the  Son  of  God  to  His  Father.  This  prayer  con- 
tains petitions  for  every  necessity  of  life. 

Then  follows  the  Hail  Mary,  the  salutation  to  the  Mother 
of  God,  by  the  archangel  Gabriel,  the  words  of  which  were 
placed  in  his  mouth  by  God  Himself  who  inspired  them; 
afterward  a  part  was  added  by  St.  Elizabeth  at  the  visit  which 
Mary  paid  to  her,  after  the  Annunciation,  and,  lastly,  the 
Church  also  puts  in  a  few  words. 

St.  Bernard  says:  "  Heaven  smiles,  the  angels  rejoice,  the 
devils  fly,  hell  trembles  whenever  we  say  a  devout  Hail 
Mary." 

To  these  great  prayers  we  join  a  meditation  on  the  myster- 
ies of  our  holy  religion,  the  life  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
its  principal  points  at  least.  With  the  angel  we  go  to  Naz- 
areth and  contemplate  the  Annunciation,  and  the  Word  made 
flesh  without  ceasing  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  From  there  we 
hasten  over  the  mountains  with  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  visit 
her  cousin  St.  Elizabeth;  then  we  wander  to  Bethlehem  where 
Our  Lord  is  born  in  a  poor  stable;  and  afterwards  we  go  with 
the  Virgin  to  offer  her  divine  Son  in  the  Temple,  where  Our 
Saviour  was  manifested  for  the  first  time  to  Simeon  and  to 
Anna  the  prophetess;  then  we  see  Him  living  a  quiet  life  in 
!N"azareth. 

ISow  begins  the  public  life  of  Our  Lord;  we  meditate  on 


342  £^east  of  the  Holy  Rosa/ry, 

His  Passion  and  death;  His  Re^urreotion  and  Ascension,  the 
coming  down  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  crowning  in  heaven  of 
Mary  the  Mother  of  Jesus.  When  we  offer  these  meditations 
to  God,  united  with  the  E.ail  Marys,  they  certainly  will  have 
more  power  than  if  we  composed  a  prayer  of  our  own  and  said 
it  ever  so  piously. 

Of  course  this  devotion  is  acceptahle  to  Mary  only  when  it 
is  recited  properly  and  devoutly. 

Do  you  think  that  we  honor  Mary  when  we  recite  the 
Rosary  with  wilful  distractions?  That  is  no  prayer;  such 
prayers  do  honor  to  no  saint.  When  St.  Stanislaus  said  the 
Eosary,  his  face  showed  that  he  was  sunk  in  aJSectionate  de- 
votion; it  seemed  as  if  the  Blessed  Virgin  were  before  him, 
seated  on  a  throne  and  he  were  kneeling  at  the  foot  of  it. 

What  a  great  advantage  it  would  be  to  us  if  we  recited  the 
Rosary  in  a  faultless  manner.  With  great  generosity  will 
Mary  scatter  her  graces  upon  our  bodies  and  souls,  and  beg 
blessings  for  our  temporal,  but  especially  our  spiritual,  affairs. 
Mary  will  defend  us  against  all  our  enemies,  she  will  cast 
her  mantle  over  us;  if  we  are  still  innocent  she  will  pre- 
serve our  innocence  for  us;  if  we  have  been  wicked  she  will 
obtain  for  us  the  grace  of  conversion.  In  our  hands  the 
beads  may  be  the  means  of  converting  many  from  sin;  we 
may  lead  back  to  the  Church  the  renegade  from  his  religion; 
the  poor  sinner  that  is  steeped  in  vice  will  find  strength  and 
better  counsel;  the  drunkard  will  be  able  to  reform.  Blessed 
are  the  young  people  who  live  in  families  where  the  Rosary 
is  said  every  evening  just  before  retiring  for  the  night. 
There  must  be  a  special  blessing  on  them.  The  blessing 
of  Jesus  and  Mary  will  enrich  those  families  with  tem- 
poral and  spiritual  blessings;  there  will  be  found  peace  and 
happiness;  crime  will  find  no  place  there.  "  The  fear  of 
the  Lord  is  his  treasure."  The  custom  of  reciting  the  Rosary 
in  a  family  shows  that  it  is  a  good  and  pious  family,  where 
there  vrill  be  heard  no  curses,  discord,  or  blasphemies;  the 
vice  of  impurity  will  not  dare  to  enter  there.    God  governs 


The  Festi/vals  of  the  Tea/r.  343 

that  household,  and  God  is  enthroned  there  by  the  united 
praying  of  the  Eosary. 

You  may  say  that  you  should  like  to  say  the  Eosary  some- 
times, but  your  parents  never  ask  you  to  say  it,  and  so  it 
is  omitted.  Do  not  throw  the  fault  on  others;  have  a  Eosary 
of  your  own,  carry  it  as  scrupulously  as  you  wear  the  Scapu- 
lar; never  be  without  it,  but  keep  it  in  your  pocket,  and  when 
you  occasionally  touch  it,  you  will  be  reminded  to  recite  it. 
It  would  be  good  to  introduce  it  in  your  home  on  the  feast 
of  the  Eosary  or  on  some  other  appropriate  feast.  Your  pa- 
rents ought  to  be  glad  to  have  such  a  practice  proposed  by 
you,  for  it  will  prove  that  your  religious  training  has  had 
some  effect  on  you. 

For  the  love  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  say  the  Eosary,  say  it 
in  her  honor,  think  of  God,  and  of  prayer;  when  you  recite 
it,  do  not  simply  run  off  a  large  number  of  Kail  Marys.  Love 
the  Eosary,  therefore,  my  dear  young  people,  it  is  a  precious 
thing;  recite  it  every  evening,  as  Leo  XIIL,  the  Holy  Father, 
advises,  and  no  doubt  this  devotion  will  bring  to  you  such 
spiritual  benefits  that  you  will  gain  a  high  place  in  heaven. 

St.  Dominic  tells  us  that  no  one  will  be  lost  who  recites  the 
Eosary  with  devotion. 

FEAST  OF  ALL  SAINTS. 

(November  1.) 

Gospel.  Matt.  v.  1-12.  And  Jesus,  seeing  the  multitudes,  went 
up  into  a  mountain,  and  when  he  was  set  down,  his  disciples  came 
unto  him,  and  opening  his  mouth  he  taught  them,  saying:  Blessed 
are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed 
are  the  meek:  for  they  shall  possess  the  land.  Blessed  are  they  that 
mourn:  for  they  shall  be  comforted.  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger 
and  thirst  after  justice:  for  they  shall  have  their  fill.  Blessed  are 
the  merciful:  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.  Blessed  are  the  clean  of 
heart:  for  they  shall  see  God.  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers:  for  they 
shall  be  called  the  children  of  God.  Blessed  are  they  that  suffer 
persecution  for  justice'  sake:    for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


344  Feast  of  All  Saints. 

Blessed  are  ye  when  they  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and 
speak  all  that  is  evil  against  you,  untruly,  for  my  sake:  Be  glad 
and  rejoice  for  your  reward  is  very  great  in  heaven. 

On  this  glorious  day  the  Clmrch  opens  to  our  view  the 
gates  of  heaven,  in  order  to  show  us  the  great  number  of  her 
children  who  there  enjoy  the  eternal  reward  of  a  good  life. 
There  we  see  the  prophets  of  God,  who  were  faithful  to  His 
word;  the  Apostles  who  fearlessly  preached  the  word  of  God 
all  over  the  world;  the  holy  martyrs  who  shed  their  blood 
and  gave  their  lives  for  the  truth;  the  confessors  who  not 
only  in  word  but  in  deed  practiced  virtue;  the  beautiful 
virgins  who  preserved  their  purity.  There  we  will  see  saints 
in  every  condition  of  life,  from  every  calling:  the  young,  the 
old,  the  rich,  the  poor,  and  so  great  is  their  number  that  they 
cannot  be  counted.  They  are  clothed  in  white,  with  palm 
branches  in  their  hands,  and  standing  around  the  throne  of 
God  they  sing  celestial  hymns.  What  a  great  happiness  to 
celebrate  this  day  in  heaven!  Will  it  not  be  a  great  joy  for 
us  one  day  to  be  in  paradise,  there  with  the  angels  and  saints 
to  sing  the  praises  of  God! 

St.  Francis  heard  an  angel  play  on  a  harp,  and  he  was  so 
enchanted  by  it  that  he  lost  all  knowledge  of  time  and  forgot 
where  he  was.  On  this  earth  there  are  continual  trials,  but  in 
heaven  with  the  angels  and  saints  we  have  nothing  more  to 
suffer;  we  shall  have  the  same  riches  as  God,  and  be  glad 
with  His  gladness.  "  And  thus  we  shall  always  be  with  the 
Lord."  0  consoling  thought!  Shall  we  all  who  are  on  this 
earth  be  in  heaven?  will  no  one  be  excluded?  Is  it  possible 
that  any  of  my  young  friends  will  be  excluded  from  heaven? 
Perhaps  not  a  few  will  meet  with  that  fate;  for  those  only 
shall  possess  the  kingdom  of  God  who  have  imitated  the  lives 
of  the  saints:  those  who  have  faithfully  served  God,  who  have 
lived  a  good  life,  who  have  not  sullied  their  souls  by  great 
sins,  or  if  they  have  committed  any,  have  repented  of  them. 
Those  will  go  to  heaven  who  have  observed  the  law  of  God 
exactly  and  have  done  much  good.    Eaise  your  eyes  to  heaven. 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tear.  345 

my  dear  young  people,  and  see  those  who  are  there  and  what 
they  have  done.  The  Apostles  who  consecrated  themselves  to 
the  service  of  religion,  and  lahored  incessantly  to  spread  the 
G-ospel  over  all  the  world;  the  martyrs,  who  were  real  soldiers 
in  resisting  the  tyrants  in  their  attempts  to  make  them  give 
up  the  faith;  repentant  sinners,  who  punished  their  bodies 
for  their  sensuality;  old  men  who  were  faithful  to  the  end 
of  a  long  life;  young  men  and  women  who  early  in  life  opened 
their  ears  to  the  voice  of  God,  and  followed  the  teaching  of 
Christ;  boys  and  girls,  who  merited  heaven  for  having  pleased 
the  Master  of  heaven  and  earth  by  their  beautiful  lives  and 
deaths.  My  dear  young  friends,  how  ashamed  we  ought  to  be 
when  we  read  of  so  many  great  examples  of  holy  lives  while 
we  do  so  very  little,  and  still  expect  to  get  to  heaven!  These 
saints  avoided  sins  and  even  imperfections;  and  rather  than 
do  anything  to  offend  God,  they  preferred  to  suffer  the  most 
horrible  torments.  On  the  occasion  of  sin,  did  you  say,  "  I 
will  not  commit  it "?  When  you  were  with  a  companion  who 
used  bad  language,  did  you  say  to  him,  "  Be  silent,"  or  go 
away  from  him? 

The  saints  prayed  day  and  night;  they  did  not  content 
themselves  with  such  short  prayers  as  we  say.  We  do  not 
love  prayer,  we  omit  it  on  any  excuse.  Some  of  the  saints 
were  sinners  at  one  time,  but  by  the  grace  of  God  they  rose 
from  their  fall,  and  performed  the  most  severe  penances  until 
the  hour  of  their  death.  Once  a  great  sinner  went  to  confes- 
sion to  St.  Vincent  de  Paul.  After  hearing  him  the  saint 
gave  him  a  penance  for  seven  years.  As  the  man  was  really 
penitent,  this  did  not  dismay  him;  he  thought  it  rather  a 
small  punishment  for  such  grievous  faults.  "  Father,"  said 
he,  '^  do  you  think  I  can  save  my  soul  by  doing  so  small  a 
penance?"  "  Yes,"  said  the  saint.  "  Fast  on  bread  and  water 
three  times  a  week  for  these  years."  The  sinner  wept  bitterly, 
and  thanked  God  he  had  obtained  pardon  so  easily.  Seeing 
the  sincerity  and  depth  of  the  man's  sorrow  the  saint  remitted 
the  penance^  and  told  him  to  recite  three  Our  Fathers  and 


346  Feast  of  All  Souls. 

tliree  Eail  Marys.  The  penitent  had  scarcely  finished  his 
penance  when  he  fell  dead  at  the  saint's  feet.  Afterwards  he 
appeared  to  St.  Vincent  and  told  him  that  his  penance  had 
been  accepted  by  God  as  sufficient,  and  that  he  even  did  not 
have  to  pass  through  purgatory,  because  God  had  taken  his 
real  sorrow  as  full  atonement  for  his  sins.  We  frequently  have 
great  difficulty  in  disclosing  our  sins;  shame,  not  sorrow, 
often  closes  our  mouths.  The  saints  did  not  shrink  from 
suffering  as  we  do;  with  us  the  least  trouble  is  a  great  trial — 
we  prefer,  come  what  may,  a  pleasant  life. 

The  saints  looked  upon  this  life  as  a  pilgrimage  to  their 
fatherland;  they  yearned  for  heaven.  Everything  in  this 
world  disgusted  them,  while  we  are  attached  to  the  world  and 
its  vanities.  "We  have  no  longing  for  heaven,  we  would  live 
here  forever  if  it  were  possible.  Heaven  requires  violence  and 
exertion;  cowards  and  lazy  people  will  not  get  there;  if  you 
continue  to  live  in  this  manner,  you  will  never  be  saints 
in  heaven.  St.  Augustine  says  if  you  do  not  do  all  in  your 
power  to  imitate  the  lives  of  the  saints  you  shall  not  have  a 
share  in  their  happiness.  On  this  day,  then,  let  us  make  a 
firm  resolution  to  imitate  the  saints,  to  detest  sin,  to  practice 
virtue  and  to  do  all  the  good  we  can.  Pray  to  the  saints,  and 
especially  to  your  patrons,  that  they  may  intercede  for  you 
before  Our  Lord  until  you  shall  have  arrived  safely  in  heaven. 
Pray  also  to  the  Queen  of  all  saints,  the  most  holy  Mary, 
that  she,  too,  may  interest  herself  in  your  spiritual  welfare 
that  you  may  begin  now  to  work  out  your  salvation  and  per- 
severe in  this  work  until  the  end.  "  Queen  of  all  saints,  pray 
for  us." 

FEAST  OF  ALL  SOULS. 

(NOVEMBEB  2.) 

Gospel.  John  v.  25-29.  At  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  the  multitude 
of  the  Jews:  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  that  the  hour  cometh,  and 
now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God:  and 
they  that  hear  shall  live.  For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself;  so 
he  hath  given  to  the  Son  also  to  have  life  in  himself;    and  he  hath 


The  Festivals  of  the  Yea/r,  347 

given  him  power  to  do  judgment,  because  he  is  the  Son  of  man. 
Wonder  not  at  this,  for  the  hour  cometh  wherein  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God:  and  they  that  have 
done  good  things,  shall  come  forth  unto  the  resurrection  of  life:  but 
they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  judgment. 

After  our  holy  mother  the  Church  has  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  and  solemnity  the  feast  of  All  Saints;  after  hav- 
ing raised  our  eyes  to  heaven  to  look  upon  the  great  joy  above 
us,  so  that  we  may  be  attracted  to  do  something  to  merit  a 
place  there,  she  proposes  to  us  to-day  a  more  gloomy  but  still 
a  most  consoling  practice.  She  bids  us  make  a  commemora- 
tion of  those  who  are  detained  in  the  prison  of  purgatory: 
we  are  to  think  of  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  souls  de- 
tained there,  that  we  may  come  to  their  assistance.  She  tells 
us  that  it  is  a  holy  and  wholesome  thought  to  pray  for  the 
dead,  that  they  may  be  freed  from  their  sins.  I  know  that 
Christians  in  general  do  not  need  much  persuasion  to  make 
them  think  of  this  holy  work.  We  know  that  if  we  go  to 
confession  and  communion  for  the  benefit  of  those  poor  souls, 
if  we  fast,  give  alms,  or  have  Masses  said  that  by  these  means 
we  appease  the  justice  of  God. 

The  holy  souls  now  know  the  value  of  good  works  and  in- 
dulgences: but  they  cannot  do  any  good  action,  nor  can  they 
gain  any  indulgences  except  those  obtained  by  the  living  and 
applied  to  them.  Still  there  are  many  young  people  who 
think  so  little  of  the  life  to  come,  that  even  the  state  of  purga- 
tory is  to  them  a  matter  of  no  moment;  they  have  no  thought 
of  the  great  pains  endured  there.  They  come  to  church  on 
this  day  from  custom,  and  by  their  exterior  irreverence  scan- 
dalize the  faithful  and  affect  the  benefit  of  or  destroy  the  good 
altogether  of  many  a  prayer  which  would  be  said  for  those  de- 
tained in  that  place  of  torment. 

Paradise,  my  dear  young  friends,  is  that  most  beautiful 
place,  that  magnificent  celestial  city,  whose  walls  are  built  of 
gold  and  precious  stones,  where  none  can  dwell  except  those 
who  are  pure  and  immaculate.    Hence  it  is  that  the  souls  in 


348  Feast  of  All  Souls. 

purgatory,  how  holy  soever  they  may  be  and  dear  to  God, 
are  detained  in  that  prison  until  they  have  atoned  for  every 
sin,  even  the  smallest.  Most  of  us,  even  the  best,  have  to 
accuse  ourselves  of  slight  lies,  little  acts  of  disobedience,  and 
many  other  venial  faults,  for  which  we  have  not  had  even  a 
thought  of  sorrow:  still  we  are  told,  *^  Thou  shalt  not  go  out 
from  thence  till  thou  repay  the  last  farthing." 

This  atonement  is  made  by  suffering  which  G-od  inflicts  as 
punishment  in  order  to  purify  those  souls.  This  suffering 
consists  of  a  fire  so  terrible  that  the  hottest  flames  on  earth 
would  be  pleasant  in  comparison.  St.  Gregory  says  that  it  is 
a  fire  of  the  same  nature  as  hell.  We  would  have  hearts  of 
stone  if  we  saw  people  burning  in  a  fire  and  would  not  try  to 
rescue  them.  We  know  that  the  poor  souls  are  in  such  a  ter- 
rible purifying  fire;  then  shall  we  not  try  to  succor  them? 
God  has  given  us  the  right  to  come  to  their  relief  by  our 
prayers. 

llie  souls  in  purgatory  deserve  our  sympathy;  they  are 
holy  souls,  destined  for  heaven  and  the  sight  of  God,  and 
many  of  them  are  connected  with  us  by  the  ties  of  blood,  if 
not  of  religion  and  humanity.  They  are  souls  who  were  once 
on  earth,  breathed  the  same  air,  lived  in  the  same  houses, 
and  slept  in  the  beds  which  we  now  occupy.  Perhaps 
in  that  sea  of  flames  is  your  father  or  mother,  brother 
or  sister,  whom  you  pretended  to  love  so  tenderly  in  life, 
whose  property  you  inherited,  who  has  sacrificed  all  for  you. 
Are  you  not  almost  bound  by  justice  to  help  him  or  her? 
'^  They  are  your  flesh  and  blood." 

My  dear  young  people,  your  dead  friends  and  relatives  who 
died  well  may  be  there,  and  this  relationship  appeals  to  your 
kindly  feelings.  Remember  your  father  and  mother,  who 
when  on  their  death-bed  said:  "My  child,  will  you  forget 
me  after  I  am  dead?"  And  you  replied  with  anguish:  "I 
promise,  with  all  my  heart,  that  as  long  as  I  live  I  shall  not 
forget  to  pray  for  you."  And  yet  scarce  had  a  few  days 
passed  when  you  forgot  all  your  affectionate  vows.    Modern 


'  Tke  Festwals  of  the  Tea/r.  349 

Catholic  young  men  may  perhaps  say  there  is  no  purgatory; 
because  nowadays  pretended  enlightenment  is  so  great  that 
our  wise  people  know  everything.  They  deny  some  of  the 
dogmas  of  our  faith,  things  of  common  belief  among  us,  which 
rest  on  good  foundation.  But  I  am  sure  that  your  Catholic 
education  has  impressed  on  your  minds  the  reality  of  purga- 
tory, though  you  may  be  rather  negligent  in  the  performance 
of  the  duty  of  praying  for  the  dead.  Perhaps  you  say  a  few 
prayers  for  them,  but  they  are  cold;  you  hear  some  Masses  for 
them,  but  with  distraction;  you  say  the  Rosary  for  them,  but 
carelessly.  Now  that  you  are  firmly  persuaded  of  your  duty  in 
this  regard,  pray  earnestly  for  the  dead  and  you  may  be  sure 
God  will  hear  you  and  apply  the  satisfaction  of  your  prayers 
to  them.  Should  your  prayers  be  the  means  of  releasing  a  soul 
from  purgatory  sooner  than  it  would  otherwise  have  been  re- 
leased, how  grateful  will  not  that  soul  be  to  you!  how  interested 
in  your  behalf!  how  anxious  for  all  your  needs,  temporal  and 
spiritual!  That  soul  will  certainly  stand  before  the  throne  of 
God  and  say,  "Lord,  I  recommend  to  Thee  my  benefactor: 
it  is  he  whom  Thou  didst  hear  in  my  behalf,  and  in  answer 
to  his  prayers  liberated  me  from  the  flames  of  purgatory.  Re- 
ward him  then,  0  my  God,  for  that  kindness."  If  that  person 
is  in  the  state  of  grace,  he  will  persevere  in  the  love  of  God 
to  the  end  of  his  days,  and  should  he  be  in  sin  he  will  obtain 
the  grace  of  conversion;  this  soul  will  go  also  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  will  say,  ^^  To  thee  I  commend  my  generous  libera- 
tor; obtain  for  him  every  grace  from  thy  divine  Son;  give 
him  the  necessary  power  to  save  his  soul." 

That  soul  will  also  approach  the  angels,  and  say:  "  0  my 
dear  angels  of  heaven,  now  my  companions  and  associates, 
I  am  anxious  to  commend  to  you  him  who  has  done  so  much 
for  me  on  earth;  he  has  prayed  to  God  for  me,  offered  Masses, 
Rosaries  and  indulgences  for  me,  so  that  I  am  now  here  prais- 
ing God,  while  I  should  have  had  to  stay  in  that  place  of 
torment  a  long  time  to  come,  to  satisfy  God's  justice  for  my 
faults  during  life,  had  he  not  interceded  for  me."     On  all 


350  Feast  of  All  Souls. 

sides  will  this  poor  liberated  soul  gain  advocates  for  us,  and 
God  Himself  will  shower  many  blessings,  both  spiritual  and 
temporal,  on  us. 

Let  us  therefore  pray  diligently  and  with  faith  for  the 
souls  in  purgatory;  let  us  especially  say  indulgenced  prayers: 
among  which  the  Eosary  is  certainly  the  richest.  Have  your 
beads  always  in  your  hand  and  say  a  few  Hail  Marys  on 
them  now  and  then,  for  you  know  that  God  has  mercy  on 
the  poor  souls  in  their  pains  when  we  pray.  Ask  Our  Lady 
and  the  saints  to  help  them. 

Cardinal  Baronius  knew  of  a  person  who  had  greatly  at 
heart  the  necessities  of  the  poor  souls  in  purgatory.  In  every 
possible  way  he  sought  means  of  relieving  them;  he  gave 
alms,  had  Masses  said,  prayed  and  had  communities  to  pray, 
all  for  the  souls  in  purgatory.  He  took  sick,  and  when  death 
was  at  hand,  Satan,  with  his  cohorts  of  wicked  spirits,  sur- 
rounded his  bed.  The  distressed  man  did  not  know  how  to 
keep  up  his  courage.  His  despair  was  at  its  worst  when  he 
saw  the  heavens  open,  and  a  great  number  of  the  heavenly 
court  descending  to  his  rescue  and  help;  the  dying  man  felt 
new  courage,  and  asked  them  who  they  were.  They  answered 
that  they  were  the  souls  that  he  had  rescued  from  purgatory 
by  his  good  works,  and  now  had  come  to  conduct  him  to 
heaven.  AVhat  joy  must  have  come  over  this  poor  man!  how 
he  must  have  valued  that  devotion  to  the  souls  in  purgatory 
which  had  brought  to  him  so  many  benefits,  and  the  grace  of 
courage  at  the  hour  of  death. 

St.  Peter  Damian  when  still  very  young  lost  his  parents. 
One  of  his  brothers  gave  him  a  home  in  his  house,  but  his 
wife,  who  was  a  hard  woman,  gave  him  barely  enough  to  eat. 
One  day  he  found  a  piece  of  money  and  instead  of  buying 
something  to  eat  with  it  he  brought  it  to  a  priest  and  asked 
him  to  say  a  Mass  for  his  father  and  mother.  This  holy  action 
procured  him  vocation  to  the  priesthood  and  he  became  a 
great  saint  and  most  useful  to  the  Church;  he  was  ordained 
priest,  was  Bishop  of  Ostia  and  afterwards  cardinal. 


The  Festwals  of  the  Tea/r,  351 

FEAST  OF  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION. 

(Decembeb  8.) 

Gospel.  Luke  i.  26-28.  And  in  the  sixth  month,  the  Angel  Gabriel 
was  sent  from  God  into  a  city  of  Galilee,  called  Nazareth,  to  a  virgin 
espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the  house  of  David, 
and  the  virgin's  name  was  Mary.  And  the  angel  being  come  in,  said 
unto  her:  Hail,  full  of  grace :  the  Lord  is  with  thee;  blessed  art  thou 
among  women. 

*'  Thou  art  all  beautiful,  0  Mary!  and  no  stain  of  original 
sin  is  in  thee;  thou  art  the  glory  of  Jerusalem,  the  joy  of 
Israel,  the  honor  of  our  people."  Such  is  the  anthem  of  the 
Church  in  to-day's  festival  in  honor  of  Mary.  To-day  we 
celebrate  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  and  we  are  therefore  full  of  joy. 

From  time  immemorial  the  Church  has  conceded  this  priv- 
ilege to  Mary;  the  ancient  doctors  and  saints  taught  it;  but 
it  was  only  in  our  day  that  it  was  made  an  article  of  faith, 
when  Pius  IX.,  in  the  year  1854,  supported  and  surrounded 
by  two  hundred  cardinals  and  bishops  assembled  in  Rome 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  proclaimed  it  as  a  dogma  that 
Mary  the  Mother  of  God  was  preserved  from  original  sin  from 
the  first  instant  of  her  conception;  that  she  did  not  need  to 
be  purified  from  stain  of  sin;  that  God  had  created  her  pure 
and  immaculate.  The  decree  was  applauded  by  all,  amid 
demonstrations  of  the  most  profound  respect  and  liveliest  en- 
thusiasm. 

No  less  should  be  our  joy  at  the  recurrence  of  a  festival 
that  marks  so  wondrous  a  grace.  But  will  you  content  your- 
selves with  joy  and  exultation?  Do  you  think  it  will  suffice 
to  Mary  to  know  that  you  are  happy?  Mary  desires  above  all 
that  you  imitate  her  purity.  If  your  souls  have  been  stained 
with  sin  she  wants  you  to  seek  pardon  at  once,  and  in  order 
that  you  may  succeed  the  better  she  is  anxious  to  come  to  your 
assistance.    She  herself  wants  to  intercede  for  your  pardon 


362  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Concejptlon, 

at  the  tlirone  of  the  Most  High.  She  herself  wishes  to  be  your 
advocate,  for  she  is  the  refuge  of  sinners.  Under  this  title 
invoke  her  to-day;  with  the  grace  of  God  I  will  prove  to  you 
how  well  she  merits  that  title. 

Mary,  who  is  all  pure  and  all  holy,  deserves  that  we  all 
should  be  pure  and  free  from  sin.  Sin  renders  us  abominable 
in  the  sight  of  God.  Our  soul  is  like  a  horrid  desert  filled 
with  wild  beasts;  the  vile  passions  of  anger,  revenge,  and  im- 
purity dwell  in  it.  Mary  sees  our  unhappy  condition,  feels 
the  greatest  pity  for  us,  and  seeks  to  make  us  know  the 
miserable  state  we  are  in.  Many  feel  this  and  are  converted, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  many,  and  among  them  a  larger  number 
of  young  people,  have  hardened  their  hearts  and  live  in  the 
indulgence  of  their  vices  because  they  prefer  to  walk  in  the 
broad  road  of  sin  which  eventually  leads  to  eternal  death. 
They  get  further  and  further  away  from  that  influence  which 
could  lead  them  back  to  conversion;  they  avoid  the  church, 
the  sacraments,  the  word  of  God,  the  counsels  of  pious  people 
and  associates,  and  give  up  the  little  devotion  they  had  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin. 

Mary  has  great  compassion  on  even  the  most  wicked  men, 
and  she  does  not  desert  them.  She  is  the  refuge  of  sinners, 
and  provided  they  have  a  wish  to  lay  aside  the  habit  of  sin, 
provided  they  say  at  least  a  little  prayer,  that  bright  immacu- 
late Queen  will  strike  off  their  fetters  and  they  will  be  con- 
verted to  God.  St.  Bridget  says  that  this  sweet  Mother  is 
a  bait  to  catch  souls  for  heaven.  Honor  her  then,  0  ye  sin- 
ners! Find  a  joy  in  doing  it  and  she  will  obtain  for  you  grace 
and  salvation. 

A  criminal  once  said,  "  What  has  the  Blessed  Virgin  ever 
done  for  me?  '*  "  What  has  she  ever  done  for  you,  ungrateful 
creature! "  answered  an  interior  voice.  "  Do  you  remember 
the  sudden  death  of  this  and  that  sinner?  It  might  have 
been  the  same  with  you,  but  she  obtained  for  you  the  grace 
of  a  longer  life  and  an  opportunity  to  do  better.'^  She  thus 
does  good,  even  to  those  who  are  ungrateful. 


The  Festivals  of  the  Tear,  353 

Mary  of  Egypt,  when  twelve  years  old,  went  to  the  wicked 
city  of  Alexandria  against  the  express  command  of  her 
mother,  and  there  she  lived  a  most  sinful  life  for  seventeen 
years.  One  day  she  saw  a  big  crowd  going  to  the  shore  to 
embark  for  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  for  the  feast  of  the 
Exaltation  of  the  Cross.  She  took  a  notion  to  go  along.  On 
the  ship  she  behaved  most  scandalously  and  led  many  of  the 
pilgrims  into  sin.  The  feast  came,  and  she  wished  to  witness 
these  festivals  also.  When  she  arrived  before  the  church 
she  made  an  attempt  to  enter,  but  she  felt  a  hand  restraining 
her.  Three  times  she  attempted  to  cross  the  threshold,  and 
though  she  made  the  grea-test  effort  she  could  not  succeed. 
Then  she  understood  that  her  great  sins  were  the  cause  of  the 
mysterious  force  that  prevented  her  from  entering  the  church; 
that  in  her  condition  she  was  not  worthy  to  enter  the  house  of 
Grod  and  look  upon  the  sacred  relics  of  the  Cross  of  Christ. 
She  wept  at  the  remembrance  of  her  sins;  she  did  not  know 
what  to  do,  when  by  the  side  of  a  house  she  saw  a  painting 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Throwing  herself  at  the  feet  of  Mary 
she  exclaimed,  "  Holy  Virgin,  who  didst  conceive  an  omnip- 
otent God,  I  know  well  that  since  thou  lovest  purity  so  much 
and  wert  so  pure  thyself,  thou  oughtest  to  abhor  such  a 
person  as  I  am.  But  0,  most  merciful  Mother,  have  mercy 
on  me!  The  greater  my  misery,  the  greater  is  my  right  to 
thy  intercession.  Obtain  for  me  the  grace  of  seeing  that  holy 
wood  of  the  cross;  and  I  will  go  where  thou  leadest  me  to 
do  penance." 

Mary  heard  her  prayer,  and  obtained  for  her  the  grace  to 
enter  the  church  and  adore  the  holy  cross.  Having  come  out 
of  the  church  the  sinner  went  to  the  desert  and  there  did 
penance  and  became  a  great  saint  through  the  intercession 
and  help  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Thus  you  see  that  Mary  feels 
compassion  for  the  greatest  and  most  disgusting  sinners. 

A  youth  of  twenty-five  years  was  dying.  He  had  led  a  most 
sinful  life,  but  having  been  converted,  he  was  very  devout  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  became  a  model  young  man.     He 


354:  Advice  to  the  Young. 

was  on  his  sick-bed  and  held  in  one  hand  a  crucifix  and  in  the 
other  an  image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  He  looked  from  one  to 
the  other  and  in  turn  kissed  them.  When  he  had  received  the 
last  sacraments  he  confidently  said:  "  Father,  I  am  going  to 
heaven,  for  Mary  has  obtained  for  me  this  grace."  You  also, 
my  dear  young  friends,  if  you  commend  yourselves  to  Mary, 
if  you  are  converted  with  a  sincere  heart  and  abandon  sin,  you 
will  surely  go  to  heaven. 

But  you,  my  dear  young  friends  who  are  still  innocent, 
do  not  forget  on  this  beautiful  day  of  the  Immaculate  Cou'- 
ception  to  pray  to  Mary.  You,  too,  have  need  of  Mary's  pro- 
tection that  you  may  preserve  your  baptismal  purity.  Pray 
to  her  in  this  wise:  "  Obtain  for  me,  0  immaculate  Virgin, 
that  no  sin  may  come  into  my  soul.  Obtain  for  me  that  my 
eyes  may  be  preserved  from  the  contamination  of  impurities; 
obtain  for  me  that  my  ears  may  not  hear  any  impious  dis- 
courses against  religion,  purity,  or  charity;  obtain  for  me  that 
my  tongue  may  not  utter  bad  words,  that  my  hands  may  do 
nothing  wrong.  Obtain  for  me,  0  immaculate  Virgin,  that 
my  whole  heart  and  my  body  may  be  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  fitted  for  this  divine  habitation  by  the  most  scrupulous 
purity." 

"  Thou  art  all  fair,  0  Mary,  and  no  stain  of  sin  is  to  be 
found  in  thee." 


ADVICE  TO  THE  YOUNG  ON  THE  LAST  DAY  OF 
THE  SCHOLASTIC  YEAK. 

We  have  come,  my  dear  young  people,  to  the  last  day  of 
the  scholastic  year.  Of  course  you  are  all  ready  to  sing  the 
parting  hymn,  and  to  thank  Our  Lord  for  the  many  graces 
which  have  been  showered  upon  you  during  this  year.  You 
have  passed  the  term  well  to  all  appearances;  you  have  given 
beautiful  examples  of  religious  fervor  and  devotion  to  all 
about  you;   you  have  received  the  sacraments  of  confession 


Ad/vice  to  the  Young.  355 

and  communion  often;  your  life,  in  short,  has  been  such  as 
good  and  well  conducted  young  people  ought  to  lead.  I  say, 
I,  too,  rejoice  with  you  that  so  much  good  has  been  done,  and 
that  if  there  be  young  people  who  axe  not  what  they  ought 
to  be,  who  oifend  God,  that  there  are  still  many  others  who 
please  Him,  and  who  abstain  from  committing  sins  as  much 
as  lies  in  human  power. 

My  only  thought  of  sadness  is,  that  this  is  the  last  time  in 
this  school  year  that  I  shall  have  the  opportunity  to  speak 
to  you,  but  especially  because  I  fear  that  some  of  you  may 
not  remain  as  good  as  you  have  been,  when  away  from  the 
holy  influences  of  this  place,  and  that  you  will  not  persevere 
in  the  good  life  you  have  begun,  but  will  allow  yourselves  to 
be  led  away  by  bad  companions,  of  which  the  world  is  full. 
It  is  for  this  reason,  before  you  go  out  into  the  world,  I  would 
like  to  say  a  few  words  as  a  sign  of  the  love  which  I  bear  you. 
The  first  and  perhaps  the  best  advice  I  can  give  you,  is  to 
remain  faithful  in  doing  good,  for  it  is  certain  that  only  they 
will  win  the  crown  of  eternal  glory  who  shall  have  persevered 
to  the  end,  and  that  all  your  good  works  of  many  years  will 
be  lost  if  you  come  to  a  bad  end.  Perseverance  in  the  devout 
recitation  of  your  prayers,  morning  and  evening,  is  of  the 
first  necessity;  as  long  as  you  pray  you  will  be  good;  as  soon 
as  you  give  it  up  and  become  careless  you  will  fall  into  sin. 
Never  omit  your  prayers,  even  once,  for,  remember  well,  it  is 
an  artifice  of  the  devil  to  get  you  to  omit  your  prayers  some- 
times; he  will  then  more  easily  get  you  to  omit  them  alto- 
gether, and  in  this  way  you  will  live  the  life  of  an  animal 
more  than  that  of  a  Christian.  Prayer  was  always  the  most 
sacred  occupation  of  the  saints;  it  is  the  key  to  heaven. 

Remember  the  observance  of  Sundays  and  feasts  that  the 
Church  has  retained  among  its  public  holy  days.  Of  Sunday 
remember  that  it  is  the  Lord's  day,  and  must  be  consecrated 
entirely  to  Him,  and  should  not  be  spent  altogether  in  recrea- 
tion. 

The  emperor  Constantino  called  Sunday  the  day  of  prayer. 


356  Advice  to  the  Young, 

Hear  Mass  with  devotion;  do  not  rush  to  a  low  Mass,  and  gei 
away  again,  merely  to  fulfil  the  precept.  Persevere  in  the 
hearing  of  the  word  of  God.  How  many  young  people,  grow- 
ing up,  neglect  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  become  more 
and  more  careless  in  hearing  instructions  on  spiritual  things, 
which  are  so  necessary  for  the  vigor  of  the  soul!  They  lose 
the  faculty  of  distinguishing  good  from  evil;  through  forget- 
fulness  they  become  ignorant  of  their  religion,  as  ignorant, 
in  fact,  as  if  they  never  had  heard  the  truths  of  religion 
before.    "  Listen  and  your  soul  shall  live." 

It  is  not  enough  to  know  the  Creed  and  the  Command- 
ments; you  must  hear  the  explanation  of  them  also,  because 
unless  you  listen  to  the  explanation  of  these  truths,  you  will 
remain  in  your  sins,  and  you  will  not  strive  to  make  the  least 
progress  in  a  good  Christian  life.  Persevere  in  the  use  of  the 
holy  sacraments  of  confession  and  communion.  Nothing 
preserves  us  so  well  as  the  frequent  approach  of  the  sacra- 
ments; no  prayer  or  spiritual  practice  is  as  powerful.  My 
dear  young  friends,  you  are  exposed  in  your  young  days  to 
many  dangers.  You  ought  to  counteract  the  influence  of 
these  dangers  by  holy  communion.  You  may  ask  how  often 
you  ought  to  receive.  Father  Segneri  the  younger,  a  very 
skillful  instructor  of  youth,  commands  you  to  go  every  Sun- 
day; though  I  would  think  once  a  month,  faithfully  observed, 
is  also  right. 

St.  Augustine  also  counsels  his  readers  to  go  every  Sunday, 
provided  they  are  not  attached  to  the  frivolities  of  the  world. 
You  must  not  think,  however,  that  this  is  too  often.  Eemem- 
ber  what  the  saints  have  done  to  merit  heaven;  they  omitted 
nothing  that  would  lead  them  to  higher  perfection.  Perse- 
vere in  devotion  to  the  Mother  of  God;  be  her  dear  children; 
go  to  communion  on  all  her  feasts;  recite  every  day  three 
Hail  Marys,  with  these  words,  "  Dear  Mother,  preserve  me 
from  mortal  sin." 

Recite  the  Rosary  every  day;  never  go  to  bed  without  hav- 
ing devoutly  prayed  to  her,  and  asked  her  blessing.    Remem- 


Achice  to  the  Young,  857 

ber  the  words  of  St.  Antonius,  that  the  devout  children  of 
Mary  must  necessarily  be  saved.  She  leads  them  to  heaven 
by  the  hand,  as  it  were.  St.  Bonaventure  says:  "By  the 
mercy  of  Mary,  heaven  is  iilled  with  souls." 

Always  avoid  the  occasion  of  sin;  avoid  bad  companions, 
be  not  the  friend  of  the  wicked  who  are  ministers  of  the  devil; 
there  are  many  such  in  the  world,  who  try  to  ruin  others  by 
their  scandals  and  bad  examples.  You  will  be  like  innocent 
lambs  among  ravenous  wolves;  you  will  be  thrown  into  the 
society  of  people  without  religion,  without  the  fear  of  God, 
who  will  laugh  at  your  piety  and  devotion,  who  indulge  in 
most  horrible  conversation.  Your  innocence  is  threatened, 
your  morality  and  your  faith  are  in  danger.  I  say  to  you  be 
faithful  to  your  former  instructions,  to  your  former  good 
training.  It  is  a  difficult  matter,  indeed,  but  God  will  keep 
you  if  you  rely  on  Him.  Under  all  these  difficulties  remem- 
ber the  words  of  Our  Lord:  "  If  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  scandal- 
ize thee,  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it  from  thee:  it  is  better  for  thee 
to  go  into  life  maimed  or  lame,  than  having  two  hands  or 
two  feet,  to  be  cast  into  everlasting  fire. 

"  And  if  thy  eye  scandalize  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast  it 
from  thee:  it  is  better  for  thee  having  one  eye  to  enter  into 
life,  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast  into  hell  fire." 

Be  on  your  guard,  my  dear  children,  against  the  first  ap- 
proach of  evil;  you  carry  your  innocence  in  very  frail  vessels, 
and  the  least  want  of  caution  will  break  it;  a  look,  a  word 
might  be  your  ruin.  Small  sins  develop  into  great  ones;  you 
begin  with  little  insignificant  things,  and  end  with  great 
ones.  You  are  walking  in  the  midst  of  difficulties  that  will 
perplex  you. 

Be  not  afraid,  my  dear  young  people;  the  battle  is  severe, 
and  the  victories  are  few,  but  trust  to  God  and  He  will  give 
you  strength  to  hold  out,  and  will  enlighten  your  mind  that 
you  may  be  wise  enough  to  foresee  the  danger  and  avoid  it. 

A  saint  once  said  that  the  very  air  we  breathe  is  dangerous 
to  innocence.     Can  you  now  remember  without  tears  and 


358  Advice  to  the  Young, 

shame,  the  miserable  falls  into  sin,  even  after  you  had  risen 
to  a  certain  degree  of  goodness  and  steadfastness  in  good? 
David,  who  was  a  man  according  to  God's  heart,  fell,  and  so 
did  Solomon,  the  wisest  of  kings.  A  certain  James,  a  hermit, 
after  a  life  of  sanctity  in  the  desert,  and  after  having  worked 
many  miracles,  fell  into  a  great  sin.  You  have  heard  of 
Origen.  He  was  a  very  learned  man  and  gifted  with  wonder- 
ful talents;  of  these  he  was  conscious  and  proud;  he  thought 
himself  wiser  than  all  the  doctors  of  his  day;  he  rebelled 
against  the  Church,  and  it  is  uncertain  whether  he  was  con- 
verted before  his  death.  This  Origen  in  his  youth  left  his 
parents  in  order  to  become  a  martyr.  This  was  that  same 
Origen,  who  allowed  himself  to  be  robbed  of  all  his  goods 
for  the  faith.  This  was  the  same  Origen  who  wrote  so  many 
books  in  defense  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Who  could  have 
thought  that  a  youth  so  ardent  for  the  faith  could  fall  so  low? 
His  mother  had  to  watch  him;  he  wanted  to  run  out  into  the 
street  as  the  martyrs  were  led  past,  that  he  might  get  among 
the  condemned,  and  thus  become  a  martyr,  too.  Origen,  too, 
was  the  son  of  the  holy  martyr  Leonidas,  a  man  full  of  noble 
sentiment  for  the  honor  of  God's  religion,  and  evidently 
young  Origen  had  inherited  these  sentiments.  Leonidas  was 
a  holy  man  and  considered  the  religious  education  of  his  child 
his  great  duty  on  this  earth.  He  used  to  go  at  night  to  the 
bedside  of  the  sleeping  Origen,  and  feast  on  the  innocence 
of  that  good  child;  and  then,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross 
on  his  breast,  he  would  venerate  the  little  body  of  that  boy 
as  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Origen  lost  all  these  ad- 
vantages and  graces  by  pride. 

Such  examples  ought  to  make  us  fear;  when  the  cedars 
of  Lebanon  fall,  we  miserable  beings  are  not  going  to  stand. 
*^  The  Lord  has  thrown  them  down,  and  has  not  spared  them.'* 
Be  then  on  your  guard,  I  say  to  you,  and  watch  the  first  ap- 
proach of  evil,  which  is  going  to  bring  after  it  a  whole  train 
of  mischief;  it  is  the  first  step  that  counts,  says  the  French 
proverb.    Sin  is  like  the  Qgg  of  a  crocodile,  which  is  certainly 


Advice  to  the  Young,  359 

small,  but  when  the  egg  is  hatched,  a  horrible  animal  comes 
out  of  it;  sin  enters  the  house,  fixes  itself  there  and  strength- 
ens its  position;  the  wool  takes  the  color  of  the  dye  very 
slowly.  This  is  the  reason  that  the  sins  of  youth  give  a 
tinge  to  the  whole  future  life. 

This  is,  perhaps,  the  last  occasion,  my  dear  young  friends, 
to  talk  to  you,  before  you  go  into  the  world  to  work  out  your 
own  salvation;  you  will  be  drawn  away,  perhaps,  by  the  evil 
maxims  of  the  world,  you  will  fall  into  sin^  and  be  spiritually 
ruined.  But  when  you  are  old  remember  that  I  have  said  to 
you,  that  the  arms  of  religion,  like  those  of  a  holy  mother, 
are  continually  stretched  out  to  you  to  take  you  back  to  her 
loving  bosom,  and  to  repeat  to  you  those  kind  words  which 
you  have  heard.  Let  me  to-day,  at  your  parting,  press  you 
to  my  bosom,  as  did  that  glorious  mother  of  St.  Louis,  king 
of  France.  She  took  the  young  boy  into  her  arms,  and  said: 
^  Dear  as  you  are  to  me,  I  would  rather  have  you  dead  in  my 
arms,  than  that  you  should  commit  a  mortal  sin."  Let  me 
say  the  same  to  you,  whilst  I  embrace  you:  that  I  would 
rather  hear  that  you  died  in  the  Lord  and  went  to  heaven, 
than  that  you  became  faithless  men  and  went  to  hell.  0  if 
you  only  knew  what  great  designs  God  has  in  store  for  you! 
0  that  the  beginning  of  your  youthful  piety,  that  the  care 
which  you  now  have  over  your  eyes,  that  the  virginal  delicacy 
of  great  innocence,  might  continue  all  your  life;  then  you 
would  ere  long  become  great  in  the  sight  of  Our  Lord. 

The  only  danger  is  that  you  will  some  day  fall  into  sin. 
After  such  Christian  training  as  you  have  received  you  ought 
to  say  with  the  Apostle  that  nothing  will  be  able  to  separate 
you  from  the  love  of  God — ^neither  tribulation,  nor  difficul- 
ties, nor  hunger,  nor  poverty,  nor  dangers,  nor  persecutions, 
nor  violence,  no,  not  even  death.  When  you  have  thus 
formed  a  strong  resolution  and  built  a  firm  foundation  of 
faith  and  have  begun  to  serve  God  it  is  worth  while  to  per- 
severe to  the  end.  The  crown  is  only  to  be  expected  at  the 
end  of  the  fight.    "What  glory  then  will  yours  be  when  you 


360  Closing  Advice  to  Young  People  after  a  Bei/reaU 

will  be  called  to  your  coronation!  The  celebrations  of  this 
world  will  pale  before  this  great  day  of  yours,  when  you  shall 
receive  your  crown. 

Dear  Jesus,  I  turn  to  Thee,  I  pray  Thee  to  interpose  Thy 
power,  that  these  young  people,  now  my  friends,  may  remain 
faithful  in  Thy  love  and  service;  free  them  from  the  great 
evil  of  the  world,  sin;  free  them  from  the  cunning  of  the 
enemy  of  their  salvation;  give  them  strength  and  courage  in 
their  struggle  to  keep  themselves  honest,  moral,  charitable, 
and  devout. 

I  have  recourse  also  in  a  special  manner  to  thee,  0  Mother 
of  God,  to  recommend  to-day  to  thee  these  young  people. 
Often  have  they  placed  themselves  under  thy  protection; 
make  them  persevere  in  their  good  works  until  thou  seest 
them  safe  in  heaven.  0  Lord,  bless  these  young  people  who 
are  about  to  go  out  into  the  world.  During  this  year  they 
have  been  an  honor  to  Thy  holy  name.  In  this  place  of  shel- 
ter they  prayed  devoutly  and  studied  faithfully;  bless  them 
before  they  part. 

Bless  also  their  parents;  give  their  families  the  grace  that 
in  them  may  reign  the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  the  love  of  one 
another.  Give  them  the  grace  to  edify  their  children  that 
they  may  be  encouraged  to  persevere. 

Bless  also  their  zealous  teachers,  who  have  spent  all  this 
time  in  their  education;  bless  their  labors,  that  the  seed 
which  they  have  sown  with  so  much  solicitude  may  bring 
great  results  and  they  may  be  consoled  with  the  thought  that 
they  have  done  much  for  the  ''  glory  of  God/' 


CLOSING  ADVICE  TO  YOUNG  PEOPLE  AFTER  A 
RETEEAT. 

Was  have,  my  dear  young  friends,  come  to  the  end  of  this 
holy  retreat.  I  am  sure  that  none  of  you  will  regret  the  time 
spent  in  making  these  holy  exercises;  on  the  contrary,  you 


Closing  Advice  to  Young  Peojple  after  a  Retreat,  361 

must  certainly  be  glad  that  you  made  them.  May  God  be 
blessed  for  all  His  mercies.  I  am  consoled  with  the  thought 
that  you  have  been  graciously  favored  by  God  in  this  retreat. 
I  can  testify  that  you  corresponded  faithfully  to  His  grace  by 
assisting  most  zealously  at  the  services,  and  I  felt  great  joy 
in  my  soul  when  I  saw  you  prostrate  before  Our  Lord  in 
preparation  for  the  reception  of  Jesus,  the  immaculate  Lamb. 
But  now  I  am  much  concerned  about  your  perseverance;  dark 
clouds  obscure  the  brightness  of  the  future. 

You  have  made  a  retreat,  have  remedied  all  the  mistakes 
and  errors  of  your  life;  you  are  now  on  the  right  road,  remain 
on  it;  you  are  now  cleansed,  remain  innocent;  you  have  de- 
tested vice,  continue  in  these  sentiments:  therefore  I  wish 
to  remind  you  of  several  very  necessary  things,  which  you  are 
to  carry  with  you  through  life. 

First,  remain  faithful  to  your  convictions  that  virtue  must 
be  acquired  and  practiced  and  that  evil  must  be  avoided.  Let 
me  say,  as  Tobias  said  to  his  son,  "  Take  heed  thou  never 
consent  to  sin."  God  has  given  you  at  your  Baptism  the  garb 
of  innocence.  He  expects  that  you  will  bring  that  garment 
with  you  as  your  wedding  garment  to  the  great  banquet  He 
is  preparing  in  paradise.  St.  John,  the  Apostle  of  love,  wrote, 
"My  little  children,  these  things  I  write  to  you,  that  you 
may  not  sin.'' 

Blanche,  the  great  queen  of  France,  said  to  her  son  every 
day,  "  I  would  rather  see  you  dead,  than  know  you  had  com- 
mitted a  sin."  St.  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice  says,  "  In  this 
world  I  have  but  one  enemy,  and  that  is  sin,  and  from  the 
first  I  have  sworn  to  wage  war  against  it  all  my  days  to  the 
end  of  my  life."    Fly  from  sin  as  from  a  serpent. 

My  dear  children,  you  are  in  the  morning  of  life,  and  are 
engaged  in  sowing  the  seeds  of  future  merit  and  glory,  both 
for  this  life  and  eternity;  remember  the  words  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  "He  that  soweth  iniquity  shall  reap  evils."  Do  not 
say  I  have  sinned,  but  nothing  has  happened  to  me.  I  still 
enjoy  life,  laugh  and  am  strong.    It  is  God's  word  that  the 


362  Closing  Advice  to  Young  People  after  a  Retreat, 

sinner  will  harvest  evil,  that  he  will  gather  thistles  on  his 
last  day,  and  his  reward  will  be  that  of  the  tares  and  weeds  of 
the  field.  He  will  be  bound  in  bundles,  and  be  cast  into  eternal 
flames.  The  time  of  sowing  is  past,  the  summer  has  come, 
now  it  is  too  late  to  plaat  again  and  the  harvest  time  will 
see  him  poor  indeed.  He  will  experience  bitterness  from  sin, 
not  only  in  the  other  world,  but  even  in  this,  for  there  is  no 
peace  for  the  wicked;  he  will  be  hunted  up  and  down  this 
world  by  the  cruel  hounds  of  his  passions,  and  the  strength  of 
his  body  and  soul  will  be  expended  fruitlessly  in  looking  for 
happiness.  Therefore,  if  you  consent  to  sin,  you  will  experi- 
ence the  greatest  unhappiness  in  this  world;  continual  re- 
morse will  follow  you,  and  a  longing  after  a  better  life.  You 
will  find  that  sin  is  like  that  piece  of  bread  of  which  Job 
speaks,  which  when  swallowed,  is  turned  into  gall.  If  you 
serve  the  devil  and  sin,  you  will  serve  a  cruel  master;  he  will 
make  you  feel  his  tjrranny  more  than  the  poor  slave  that  is 
bound  by  chains,  and  is  ordered  about  under  the  lash  of  the 
tyrant.  The  devil  will  put  his  yoke  upon  you,  he  will  make 
you  work  like  a  slave  for  his  own  purposes. 

To  avoid  sin  fly  from  the  occasion  of  it;  think  of  the  advice 
given  by  a  holy  hermit  to  the  young.  "  Fly  at  once,  fly  far, 
fly  always.^'  Avoid  in  a  special  manner  bad  companions;  you 
do  not,  my  dear  young  people,  know  now,  but  you  will  know 
in  the  future,  when  you  have  unhappily  gone  through  the 
experience  of  it,  how  destructive  bad  example  is;  how  it 
grasps  about  for  victims.  Young  people  are  on  the  road  to 
perdition  from  the  mere  fact  that  they  keep  bad  company; 
the  devil  need  not  trouble  himself  to  tempt  them.  But  who 
are  bad  companions?  You  know  them  well;  those  who  use 
bad  language,  who  are  immodest,  who  steal,  drink  or  spend 
their  time  in  saloons.  Bad  conversation  does  much  harm  to 
the  innocent  youth. 

Be  on  your  guard,  my  dear  young  friends,  against  the  great 
sin  of  scandal;  "  He  that  shall  scandalize  one  of  these  little 
ones  that  believe  in  Me,"  says  Our  Lord,  "  it  were  better  for 


Closing  Advice  to  Young  Peojple  after  a  Retreat,    363 

him  that  a  millstone  should  be  hanged  about  his  neck  ajid 
that  he  should  be  drowned  in  the  depth  of  the  sea."  Jesus 
came  to  save  souls  and  He  shed  His  blood  for  them.  Scandal 
robs  Our  Lord  of  the  souls  which  belong  to  Him  by  this  pur- 
chase. It  is  a  terrible  sin  to  wrest  from  the  hands  of  Our 
Lord  a  soul  ready  to  go  to  heaven;  to  give  it  into  the  hands 
of  the  devil  for  eternal  destruction.  It  would  be  an  infinitely 
lighter  fault  to  rob  a  church  of  a  chalice  than  to  take  a  soul 
away  from  God.  *'  Thou  hath  redeemed  us  to  God  in  Thy 
blood."  At  the  hour  of  our  death  the  sin  of  scandal  will  give 
us  the  greatest  pain.  A  heretic  after  his  conversion  used  to 
say,  "  The  sins  which  I  have  committed,  though  very  great, 
are  forgiven  after  a  sincere  penance,  but  the  sins  which  I 
made  others  commit  give  me  great  concern,  because  I  do  not 
know  where  they  are  to  end.  I  have  been  the  cause  of  them, 
and  will  have  to  answer  for  them  at  the  judgment  seat  of  God, 
at  the  last  day." 

If  you  are  conscious  that  you  have  given  scandal,  and  that 
in  consequence  a  soul  is  in  danger  of  being  damned,  then 
indeed  have  fear,  because  that  soul  will  call  for  vengeance 
for  all  eternity;  it  does  not  seem  possible  that  the  victim  of 
your  scandal  should  be  condemned  to  hell,  while  you,  the 
author  of  the  scandal,  enjoy  the  delights  of  paradise.  You 
must  repair  the  scandal  as  far  as  possible  and  try  to  gain 
many  souls  to  Jesus. 

You  are,  my  good  children,  to  live  in  a  wicked  world,  and 
for  that  reason  you  must  be  constantly  on  your  guard.  You 
ought  to  live  in  the  world  like  the  birds,  that  keep  away  from 
the  ground;  they  descend  only  to  look  for  food,  and  as  soon  as 
they  obtain  it  they  rise  again  to  the  sky;  they  know  by  in- 
stinct that  they  have  many  enemies  on  the  earth.  In  this  way 
you  should  be  detached  from  the  place  where  there  are  so 
many  snares  laid  for  your  destruction.  Hold  communication 
with  the  world  as  you  would  with  a  traitor;  you  would  not 
trust  him,  no  matter  how  fine  his  exterior  might  be;  you 
would  watch  his  every  movement.    So  true  is  this,  that  Our 


364  Closing  Advice  to  Young  Peojple  after  a  Retreat. 

Lord,  before  parting  with  His  disciples,  warned  them  against 
the  evil  of  this  earth  and  prayed  His  heavenly  Father,  "  not 
that  He  should  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  He 
should  keep  them  from  evil." 

On  all  sides  you  will  meet  with  bad  example,  but  do  not 
follow  the  crowd  in  doing  wrong.  It  is  no  excuse  to  say  that 
you  have  seen  others  doing  evil;  remember  young  Tobias.  He 
saw  the  other  Jews  in  captivity  at  the  time  approach  the  altar 
of  the  false  gods  to  curry  favor  with  their  captors,  and  thereby 
become  favorites;  but  he  went  every  year  to  Jerusalem,  to  the 
Temple  of  the  Lord,  there  to  adore  the  God  of  Israel.  He  wit- 
nessed the  apostasy  of  the  young,  he  saw  the  old  men  bend 
their  tottering  knees  to  the  idols,  but  he  did  not  imitate  their 
bad  example.  The  Scriptures  say  that  the  number  of  fools 
is  infinite.  You,  too,  may  be  called  foolish  for  being  faith- 
ful, and  humanly  speaking  it  may  be  foolish  to  lose  all  tem- 
poral advantages  by  waiting  for  the  eternal  reward;  but  soon 
those  who  despised  you  will  change  their  language,  and  say, 
"  We  were  the  fools,  for  we  thought  their  lives  without  honor 
and  now  they  are  counted  among  the  children  of  God  and 
their  lot  is  among  the  saints  in  heaven."  A  great  remedy  for 
the  dangers  of  the  world  is  the  faithful  use  of  the  sacraments. 
These  are  the  channels  by  which  grace  will  flow  into  your 
souls,  and  by  which  you  will  be  preserved  from  the  contamina- 
tion of  the  world.  When  St.  Philip  Neri  saw  a  young  man 
who  regulated  his  life  according  to  the  law  of  God  by  fre- 
quenting the  sacraments,  and  listened  to  the  word  of  God,  he 
said,  "  If  he  is  not  saved,  who  will  be  saved?  ^^  Some  young 
people  are  determined  to  live  a  life  free  from  restraint;  they 
do  not  go  to  confession,  and  having  no  good  confessor  to  direct 
them  they  never  hear  a  word  of  reprimand. 

Keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day.  St.  Basil  describes  how  the 
people  in  his  time  sanctified  the  Sunday;  they  went  at  dawn 
to  the  house  of  God,  went  to  confession  with  great  compunc- 
tion of  heart  and  then  sang  psalms.  They  went  to  com- 
munion on  Wednesday,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday,  and  on 


Closmg  Advice  to  Young  People  after  a  Betreat,  365 

the  feasts  of  the  martyrs.  Thus  did  these  first  Christians 
sanctify  the  Sunday;  while  in  our  day,  there  are  many  who 
scarcely  go  to  Mass:  it  is  seldom  that  they  go  to  communion, 
perhaps  once  a  year  at  Easter,  and  some  of  them  not  then. 
Never  be  so  careless  of  your  salvation  as  to  neglect  to  go  to 
communion  at  Easter. 

Be  devout  and  pious  in  church.  How  pitiable  a  sight  it  is, 
and  one  which  rouses  our  indignation,  to  see  young  people  act 
in  a  giddy  manner  and  with  levity  in  church!  Such  want  of 
respect  in  church  is  an  insult  to  God.  Such  people  are  the 
very  ones  of  whom  the  Lord  complains,  ^'A  people  that 
continually  provoke  Me  to  anger  before  My  face."  The  same 
way  St.  Paul  asks,  "  Have  you  not  houses  to  eat  and  to  drink 
in,  or  despise  ye  the  Church  of  God?  "  To  see  young  people 
devout  in  church  is  a  beautiful  sight.  The  saintly  bishop, 
Anscarius,  saw  a  little  boy  .come  into  the  church  with  great 
outward  devotion,  which  showed  his  good  interior  disposition. 
The  bishop  said  this  boy  will  one  day  become  a  great  saint; 
his  expectations  were  realized,  for  this  child  became  a  saint, 
and  succeeded  him  in  the  episcopacy.  Some  people  are 
ashamed  to  be  pious  among  their  companions  who  are  less 
scrupulous.  I  suppose  it  is  because  they  think  they  would 
be  ridiculed:  but  you,  my  dear  young  friends,  will  not,  I  am 
sure,  be  ashamed  to  appear  pious;  be  not  ashamed  to  kneel 
on  both  knees  in  devout  prayer;  attend  to  the  Mass  with 
great  piety,  even  though  your  neighbors  talk  and  laugh.  What 
do  you  care  for  the  remarks  of  those  about  you,  provided  you 
please  almighty  God?  Bestir  yourselves,  then,  to  do  what  is 
right  in  church;  despise  the  mean  influence  of  human  respect 
which  keeps  so  many  from  showing  their  devotion,  and  in- 
duces them  even  to  neglect  the  use  of  the  sacraments. 

Be  obedient  and  subject  to  your  masters  and  to  your  parents. 
You  are  bound  to  this  obedience  not  only  because  you  are 
still  young,  but  this  subjection  to  your  superiors  will  last  all 
your  life,  for  the  proper  preservation  of  order.  You  know 
that  the  commandment  of  honoring  your  parents  will  not  be 


366   Closvng  Advice  to  Young  People  after  a  Betreat. 

done  away  with  as  long  as  they  live.  St.  Mary  Magdalen  of 
Pazzi  said,  "  0,  dear  yirtue  of  obedience,  you  bind  me,  you 
subject  me,  but  at  the  same  time  you  defend  me,  and  more- 
over,'^ she  said,  '^  if  any  one  wishes  to  die  a  happy  death,  let 
that  person  allow  himself  to  be  guided  by  his  superiors.'^  St. 
Teresa  says  she  would  have  gone  to  hell  had  she  not  obeyed 
her  superiors.  But  why  should  I  quote  the  maxims  of  the 
saints,  when  we  have  the  example  and  teaching  of  Our  Lord? 
He  was  God,  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  still  He  was 
subject  to  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  to  God.  He  was  obedient 
even  unto  death,  the  death  of  the  cross. 

Let  me  also  most  warmly  recommend  to  you,  my  dear  young 
people,  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Be  her  affectionate 
and  devout  children  as  were  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga,  Philip 
Neri,  Stanislaus  Kostka  and  many  others.  In  fact  there  never 
was  a  saint  who  did  not  love  the  Mother  of  God.  Have  Mary 
always  in  your  mind,  always  in  your  heart,  and  always  on 
your  tongue.  St.  Bonaventure,  the  honeyed  Doctor  of  the 
Church,  says,  "  As  long  as  I  live,  I  will  love  and  glorify  Mary." 
Honor  that  dear  Mother,  pray  to  her  often,  that  she  take  care 
of  you  and  defend  you  against  sin;  ask  her  that  she  may 
even  obtain  for  you  an  early  death,  rather  than  allow  you 
to  fall  into  mortal  sin. 

A  young  Chinese  girl  belonging  to  the  imperial  family  was 
very  good,  and  once  when  she  went  to  confession,  the  mis- 
sionary said,  ^^My  child,  by  the  grace  of  God,  you  are  now 
His  good  daughter;  but  the  country  is  so  full  of  bad  people, 
that  perhaps  you  may  again  fall  away  from  grace.  I  confess 
I  am  very  much  concerned  at  this  possibility."  "  You  need 
not  fear,"  she  answered,  "  for  I  would  rather  die  than  offend 
my  good  God."  "  If  that  be  the  case,  you  will  remain  stead- 
fast: but  pray  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  tell  her  that  you  would 
die  rather  than  offend  God,  and  ask  her  to  keep  you  in  that 
disposition."  A  few  days  after  the  girl  was  taken  sick,  and  she 
rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  death,  because  she  was  now  cer- 
tain that  she  would  not  offend  God. 


Closing  Ad/vice  to  Yowng  Peojple  after  a  Retreats  367 

You,  too,  my  good  young  people,  ought  to  make  a 
similar  prayer  and  pledge  yourself  to  give  up  your  life  rather 
than  to  fall  into  sin. 

My  last  word  and  exhortation  will  be  to  remember  how  good 
Our  Lord  is.  He  is  such  a  good  Father  that  He  accepts  every 
sacrifice  and  notes  it,  that  He  may  reward  us  for  it  in  the 
future.  Every  word  of  edification  for  your  companions,  every 
little  act  of  charity  to  your  neighbor,  each  little  kindness 
toward  others,  every  prayer,  be  it  ever  so  short,  every  inclina- 
tion of  the  head  when  you  repeat  the  name  of  Jesus,  every 
little  mortification  on  your  part,  will  be  treasured  up  in  the 
book  of  life.  Our  Lord  will  invite  you  to  sit  on  the  throne 
of  glory  as  a  reward.  How  consoling  it  will  be  when  after  a 
brief  term  of  years  Jesus  receives  you  at  the  gates  of  heaven 
and  crowns  you  with  imperishable  glory. 

My  dear  Jesus,  I  look  to  Thee,  and  pray  that  Thou  keepest 
these.  Thy  young  children,  in  Thy  service  and  Thy  holy  love; 
make  them  firm  in  the  path  of  virtue,  and  give  them  grace 
never  to  wander  away  from  Thy  law. 

Mother  most  pure,  this  day  especially  I  have  recourse  to 
thee,  and  beg  that  these  young  people  who  are  now  so  good, 
devout,  obedient  and  docile,  may  always  remain  so  to  the  end 
of  their  lives. 

May  the  blessing  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  descend  upon  you, 
and  remain  with  you  forever.  May  He  bless  your  parents  and 
your  families,  that  the  peace  of  God  may  always  be  found  with 
you. 

Bless,  0  Lord,  all  of  us,  in  body  and  in  mind,  that  we  may 
always  work  for  the  greater  honor  of  God,  and  use  the  faculties 
of  our  souls  in  thinking  how  we  may  advance  His  glory. 

Help  us,  0  Lord  Jesus,  that  we  may  never  again  fall  into 
sin  and  offend  Thee. 


PSnnSD  BT  BXHZIOBa  BROTHERS,  HXW  TORK. 


